Joseph’s comeback continues. The London-based premium fashion brand — known for producing high-quality, timeless pieces — has appointed experienced designer Mario Arena as creative director, effective immediately.
Arena was most recently director of product and design at JW Anderson, and his CV includes stints as director of design and innovation at Nanushka and head of ready-to-wear at Christopher Kane. Before that, he had his own label, Enlist, and founded Arena International, a strategic design and trend studio that collaborated with the likes of Celine and LVMH. At Joseph, he replaces Anna Lundbäck Dyhr and Frederik Dyhr, the husband and wife duo who exited the brand in July 2024.
His appointment comes after Joseph marked several milestones in 2023: celebrating its 40th anniversary with a campaign starring Amber Valletta, returning to profitability for the first time since 2015 and opening a new store on London’s Regent Street. It now has six standalone stores in the UK, one in Tokyo, one in Taipei and one in Paris. It also has more than 450 stockists around the world, including Selfridges in London, Le Bon Marché in Paris, Neiman Marcus in the US, Lane Crawford in Hong Kong, Harvey Nichols in Dubai and Isetan in Japan, plus e-commerce sites such as Net-a-Porter and Mytheresa.
“I am honoured to join Joseph as creative director,” Arena said in a statement. “[The brand’s founder] Joseph Ettedgui was a visionary who pushed the boundaries in design and retailing. The rich heritage and timeless design codes have always been an inspiration to me in my career. I look forward to bringing to life a new vision for this iconic brand.”
“I’m delighted to welcome Mario to Joseph. He is a highly talented creative and has a wealth of experience within contemporary luxury,” said Barbara Campos, who joined Joseph as CEO in 2018 from Marni, where she was global wholesale director.
Arena’s first collection for Joseph will be for Spring/Summer 2026 and will land in stores next October. He will be based in London in a newly created design department, which houses a newly appointed design team, atelier, product development team and production team. This includes Marks & Spencer and Jigsaw alum Suzanne Carson, who joined as director of product development and atelier in September.
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