French brand AZZARO has announced that Arnaud Maillard and Alvaro Castejo have been appointed as new creative directors, effective March 25th. The two will be in charge of women's ready-to-wear from the Spring/Summer 2014 season. Maillard studied design at Atelier Mode Fleuri Delaporte and Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne in Paris, and spent 15 years working under Karl Lagerfeld. He served as studio director at the Lagerfeld Gallery and later as creative director of Sybilla. After studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, Castejon built his career at brands such as Oscar de la Renta, Givenchy, and Alexander McQueen before joining Karl Lagerfeld's team. He was involved in the launch of the Lagerfeld Gallery and also served as director of Fendi's creative studio. The two co-founded the brand Alvarno in Madrid, Spain in 2009. Azzaro was founded in 1967 by French designer Loris Azzaro. Known for its glamorous dresses featuring lavish beading and bold cutouts, the brand has a clientele that includes many celebrities, including Sophia Loren, Raquel Welch, and Maria Berenson. After Azzaro's death in 2003, the brand relaunched its collections in AW 2004-05 with Argentine designer Vanessa Seward. From the AW 2012-13 pre-collection, Mathilde Castello Branco, formerly of Hermes and Lanvin, was appointed creative director, but her retirement was announced in October last year, and the decision on a successor was awaited.