Sean John Ramp Up

I was at a party on Wednesday with Jeff Tweedy of Sean John and he did not mention this to me.

As part of an ongoing effort to try to improve marketing and its in-store presence, Sean John has hired two key executives. Vincent Panzanella has joined the company as vice president of marketing and Dean Arcuri has been named vice president of creative direction.

Vincent Panzanella

Dean Arcuri

They assume responsibilities that were previously handled by LonDell Wright, who exited Sean John in January.

Panzanella is now overseeing marketing efforts including brand development, strategic partnerships, events, media planning and public relations. Most recently, he worked at Tommy Hilfiger as senior director of marketing. In that role, he oversaw general brand positioning, media campaigns and the marketing of multiple licensed product categories.

Both he and Arcuri report to Sean John president Jeff Tweedy.

Arcuri is handling the brand’s visual identity, managing the creative feel and direction of retail displays and overseeing the roll-out of new stores and shops-in-shop. His prior work experience includes serving as marketing director at Ralph Lauren.

Refocusing the line as a fashion collection, instead of one rooted in basics, has been a priority for Tweedy, who was promoted to president in November. Last year’s retail sales were said to be about $350 million, a significant improvement compared to recent years but not as strong as the company’s 2008 claim of $525 million.

Tweedy said of his two new hires, “I’m confident they will both play critical roles as we continue Sean John’s growth and work to re-energize the brand through dynamic new marketing initiatives and the creation of a strong visual identity in the media, at retail and online.”