NICK OF TIME: Mounir Moufarrige, recently elevated to chairman of S.T. Dupont’s supervisory board, is eager to have the luxury lighter and pen specialist move swiftly into lucrative new categories. Watches are to debut early next year in France, the U.K. and Hong Kong, and Moufarrige said he’s lining up several celebrity pitchmen with huge social media followings. Women’s handbags are up next for the Paris-based company, which had first tested the category in 2011. It also makes an array of men’s leather goods. Moufarrige had previously been vice chairman at S.T. Dupont and succeeds Sharon Flood.
A serial entrepreneur involved in a slew of fashion and luxury firms, Moufarrige revealed he’s also a shareholder in Designer Parfums, which recently sold a majority stake in Jean Patou to LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, which plans to introduce ready-to-wear and accessories under former Nina Ricci and Carven designer Guillaume Henry, as reported. Designer Parfums markets fragrances for the likes of Worth Paris, Ariana Grande, Porsche Design and Naomi Campbell.