Pal Zileri Ends Six-Year Vacuum, Names Stumpfl
By @sharedot · · 6 pages
- Fashion
- Pal Zileri
- Designer Appointments
- Menswear
- Birkenstock X Etro
WWD reports Pal Zileri has named Norbert Stumpfl creative director, filling a role vacant since 2019, with his first collection due for fall 2027.
A Six-Year Wait Ends in Milan
According to WWD, the Italian sartorial menswear house Pal Zileri has appointed Austrian designer Norbert Stumpfl as its new creative director.
The role had stood empty since 2019, when Rocco Iannone — now creative director of Ferrari — exited, and collections have since been designed by the in-house team. Stumpfl's first collection for the house is slated to bow for the fall 2027 season, WWD reports.
Why the Appointment Turns Heads
The surprise is less the hire than the long gap it closes: a heritage tailoring house run without a named creative voice for six years finally puts a designer back at the top.
WWD notes Stumpfl is a Central Saint Martins graduate whose résumé includes Brioni, where he was design director for seven years until his 2025 exit, plus Berluti, Balenciaga menswear, Lanvin for nearly nine years, and stints at Louis Vuitton and Adidas.
The outlet highlights his reputation for exacting silhouettes, a discerning eye for color, and knowledge of precious fibers — credentials squarely aimed at Pal Zileri's tailoring DNA.
What the House and Designer Say
WWD quotes CEO Carlo Anceschi calling the appointment "a defining step," with an ambition to "put the product at the center of the brand" and build a complete wardrobe with a clear, contemporary identity on the house's tailoring expertise.
Stumpfl, in turn, told WWD he wants to develop Pal Zileri's "strong sartorial heritage" through "precise proportions, beautiful materials and clothes that feel natural to wear," treating tailoring as the starting point for elegance, comfort and versatility.
The move is also the first big decision for Anceschi, who joined last February after senior roles at Brioni, Pomellato, Stella McCartney and Elisabetta Franchi.
Stakes, Owners and a Kering-Etro Footnote
WWD reports Pal Zileri is controlled by Qatari fund Mayhoola, which also owns Valentino and Balmain, giving the reset serious backing as the brand shifts toward softer silhouettes and an effortless style while keeping its luxurious-fabric heritage.
With results due not until fall 2027, the appointment is a bet on product-first rebuilding.
Separately, Hypebeast reports Birkenstock and Etro have dropped the second 'Birkenstock by Etro' installment from November 12, 2026, adding a first-ever collaborative Arizona sandal at ¥99,000 alongside a shearling-lined Boston at ¥105,700, with Western buckles and paisley-tread outsoles.