Overview
- Fast Retailing announced the hire on Thursday, installing the former Marni creative director to lead the youth-focused value brand.
- Risso’s first GU collection is slated for Fall/Winter 2026, with a Uniqlo collaboration also confirmed for 2026.
- In the quarter through Nov. 30, GU posted a slight year-on-year same-store sales decline that the company linked to a shortage of trend-right products.
- GU is Fast Retailing’s second-largest label, operating roughly 450–480 stores across Asia and entering the U.S. in 2024 with a SoHo, New York flagship.
- The move repeats Fast Retailing’s designer-led strategy seen at Uniqlo with Clare Waight Keller and Christophe Lemaire to add fashion credibility at scale.