Aussie metal guru quits 007 tailor after six months

[PARIS] The Italian fashion house Brioni has parted company with its controversial creative director Justin O'Shea only six months after the Australian was brought in to shake-up "James Bond's tailor".

The tattooed, shaven-headed heavy metal fan, who had never designed clothes, was seen by many as an uneasy fit with a brand famous for its bespoke suits.

The Milan-based house had dressed every James Bond from Pierce Brosnan in Goldeneye in 1995 to Daniel Craig in Casino Royale.

But Mr O'Shea wanted to radically change its image, dressing the heavy metal band Metallica in black tuxedos for a major advertising campaign, and putting the brand's logo in gothic lettering.

He later raised eyebrows with full-length chinchilla coats and said it was "very gangster" to dress a man in a silk shirt.

"That's the kind of guy I want to appeal to." Mr O'Shea's departure comes a month before he was due to show his 2017 autumn-winter collection in Milan.

It will not now be shown on the catwalk, the brand said in a statement, but instead presented to buyers.

CEO Gianluca Flore said, "The strategy of revitalisation of Brioni that started at the beginning of this year is set to continue... to further establish the brand as a leader in the luxury menswear category."

Brioni is part of the French-based Kering group owned by billionaire Francois Pinault.

AFP