Séverine Merle

Séverine Merle is the chief executive of Celine, a position she has held since February 2017. As the strategic architect behind one of LVMH’s most successful brand transformations, Merle has overseen the house's evolution from a niche label into a global powerhouse, surpassing the €2 billion annual revenue milestone in 2023.

Merle’s tenure is defined by her 2018 appointment of Hedi Slimane as Artistic, Creative, and Image Director. Together, they orchestrated a comprehensive rebranding that expanded the house into menswear, haute couture, and haute parfumerie. Under her leadership, the brand’s retail network underwent a global overhaul, introducing a new architectural concept and a robust digital pivot that modernised Celine’s e-commerce presence.

In recent seasons, Merle has steered Celine toward the high-margin “ultra-luxury” and cosmetics markets. In 2024, she oversaw the historic launch of Celine Beauté, the house's first formal cosmetics line, which debuted with the “Rouge Triomphe” lipstick. This expansion, alongside the continued dominance of the “Triomphe” leather goods line, has solidified Celine’s position as a primary growth engine for the LVMH Fashion and Leather Goods division.

A graduate of Sciences Po and Université Paris Dauphine, Merle also holds an MBA from ESSEC Business School. She began her career at the French department store Le Bon Marché, where she spent 14 years before moving to Louis Vuitton as worldwide merchandising director and later General Manager of France. In 2014, she joined Berluti as Executive Vice President, working alongside Antoine Arnault before succeeding Marco Gobbetti at Celine.

In May 2019, Merle was appointed President of the Chambre Syndicale de la Mode Masculine, succeeding Sidney Toledano. She remains a key figure in the LVMH Executive Committee and a permanent member of the BoF 500, recognised for her ability to balance uncompromising creative vision with rigorous commercial performance. As of early 2026, she continues to lead Celine’s global strategy from Paris.