PVH Australia and New Zealand CEO Craig Barnett has stepped down from the lead role after more than a decade of managing the Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger brands locally.
PVH confirmed the news with Ragtrader, with Barnett saying his initial priority is resting and spending time with family.
“I doubt I would consider the intensity of another CEO role, but I’m open-minded to a project or challenge that would be both interesting and stimulating,” he said.
Barnett began his career in fashion in Brisbane in the early 1980s, in a division of the old Bradmill business which had a factory of 865 machinists making mainly men’s shorts and pants. The factory was most notable for its denim fabrics, and was sourced by local and global players including the likes of Versace, Moschin, Marks & Spencer and Max Mara.
At that time, department stores, including Grace Bros, dominated the retail and fashion landscape, with wholesale being the leading channel for emerging designers to break into the market.
Barnett then moved into Sara Lee-branded apparel, as a general manager of sales and marketing. His next big break was taking on the chief operating officer role at Gazal Corporation, which at the time was looking after Calvin Klein in partnership with PVH Corp in America, among some other brands under license, including Van Heusen, Bisley Workwear and Davenport. The Gazal company was then acquired by PVH in 2014 for $124 million, with Barnett transitioning into the CEO role of PVH Australia.
Reflecting on the transition, Barnett said it was a smooth one and is one of the proudest moments in his career.
“Our team rapidly understood and embraced the benefits, power and leverage which ultimately translated into very big new investments in the brands, big campaigns, new office and showrooms and a state-of-the-art automated 3PL warehouse,” he said.
“Our measure of success in that time is that ANZ’s growth in that period was stellar, and we remain the highest-selling sales per capita market in PVH globally.”
In 2021, Barnett added “president” to his CEO title.
Looking at the market today, he said the industry leads in its ability to pivot fast.
“Change is at our core,” he said. “Fast fashion plays a role, but it will be important for brands to stay on the pulse of new and emerging consumer segments, connect and engage with impactful brand storytelling, embrace change and remain agile.”