Just a year after Filipino-American Rhuigi Villaseñor was appointed the creative director of Bally, the designer is parting ways with the Swiss brand.
In a statement, Bally described Villaseñor’s exit as “a joint and mutual decision,” and thanked him for his contributions to Bally. Meanwhile, Villaseñor called his experience at Bally as “an incredible honor.”
The California-based designer created two collections for Bally before exiting the brand. In his short stint at the 172-year-old fashion house, Rhuigi worked toward modernizing and elevating the heritage brand. His two collections with Bally seemed to do just that with its electric fusion of Swiss sporting style and American cowboy leathers.
Rhuigi’s claim to fame is his luxury streetwear brand Rhude, a cult-favorite American brand favored by the likes of rappers Kendrick Lamar and Jay-Z. For all its tight aesthetics, Rhude can be seen as the sartorial representation of Rhude’s immigrant journey as a kid from Manila, becoming a streetwear designer.
“I would like to thank Rhuigi for all his creative contributions during his time at Bally,” said Bally CEO Nicolas Girotto in a statement. “His passion, energy and creativity helped catapult Bally back into the spotlight, further rejuvenating the brand’s 170-year legacy through a modern, glamorous lens. I wish him all the best in the next chapter of his creative journey.”
No successor has been announced, and Villaseñor has not made another statement regarding the issue. But he did leave behind a few tweets if you’re willing to read between the lines.
This story originally appeared on Esquiremag.ph.
* Minor edits have been made by the Preview.ph editors.
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