Ben Malka.
ins and outs
Halston Poached BCBG Max Azria’s President After All
Although Ben Malka initially denied rumors that he would take over at Halston following its sudden meltdown two weeks ago, he confirmed this morning that he had left BCBG Max Azria Group to do just that. Malka was the president of BCBG since 2001, and worked at the company for sixteen years, during which time he solidified BCBG's place in the contemporary womenswear market and helped secure BCBG's relationship with department stores like Bloomingdale's (surely by no coincidence, Bloomingdale's told WWD that they've just placed orders with Halston Heritage for the first time).
Malka's move to Halston also means a cash infusion of $20 million for the company, as his position on the board requires a substantial investment, according to a Halston spokeswoman. The company is now owned entirely by Malka and Hilco Consumer Capital, the latter of which bought out former board members Sarah Jessica Parker and Harvey Weinstein when they jumped ship this past month.
So what will the new Halston look like? A lot like BCBG Max Azria, probably. Now that designer Marios Schwab has left, the company has discontinued its Halston collection and will focus entirely on its lower-priced Halston Heritage line. Meanwhile, Malka is likely to bring over more BCBG folks, including Marie Mazelis, former creative director of the Hervé Léger and Max Azria lines, who left the company last week.
