Procop Returns to Asprey as CEO
By Sophia Chabbott Asprey of London is pushing top-tier luxury.
The 227-year-old British brand, which was acquired in 2006 by Plainfield Asset Management and Sciens Capital, is shedding categories such as ready-to-wear and footwear and pushing its core products, including fine jewelry, silver and leather goods. To spearhead the new direction, Asprey chairman John Rigas has lured back former Asprey & Garrard chief executive officer Robert Procop as president and ceo of Asprey.
Procop succeeds Gianluca Brozzetti, group ceo of Asprey, who left the firm 12 months ago after six years at the helm.
Procop, who started in his role on Friday, was ceo of Asprey & Garrard from 1999 to 2000 when it was owned by Prince Jefri of Brunei, bringing the company near breakeven from a $160 million loss. After the Asprey brand was spun off, he then was ceo of Garrard from March 2006 until earlier this year.
Procop’s specialty is high-end jewelry. The Los Angeles native founded Diamonds on Rodeo in the Eighties, where he counted celebrities and royals on his client roster. He later founded Jewels of Beverly Hills, where he also served high-profile clients. He was the first American ceo of Asprey & Garrard, the-then crown jeweler to Queen Elizabeth and other royals.
“We want to have a ceo that has a jewelry background,” said Rigas. “And Robert has been successful in the jewelry market for many years.”
Rigas said under the prior ownership, Asprey expanded into a lot of categories that weren’t part of its core, referring to former owners Lawrence Stroll and Silas Chou, co-chairman of Sportswear Holdings Ltd., owner of Michael Kors. Stroll and Chou bought Asprey and Garrard from Prince Jefri, creating the A&G Group and expanding Asprey into rtw, shoes and other accessories while at the same time opening mega?stores in New York and London.
“That was an unsuccessful expansion,” Rigas said.
The company will cease rtw sales come January and current creative director Hakan Rosenius, who designed lavish yet intimate runway shows for Asprey, will become a consultant to the brand on matters of design and style.
Rigas is focused on honing the company’s best product categories, namely bespoke items for which it is famous, from custom china for a 300-foot yacht to a set of alligator luggage.
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