Ippolita Rostagno Back in Charge at Namesake Brand

New York—The designer and founder of fine jewelry brand Ippolita is back at the helm of the company.

Ippolita Rostagno has acquired a majority stake in the brand, serving as chief creative officer and CEO.

She takes over from Boston private equity firm Castanea Partners, which has owned a majority of the company since 2007.

“I am extremely grateful for the support Castanea Partners has given the brand, helping to build infrastructure, increase distribution and develop our e-commerce platform,” Rostagno said in a press release.

“In this new phase, I’m truly looking forward to driving our ethos and creativity with innovative designs and artistic collaborations.”

Rostagno launched her eponymous line in 1999, designing wearable jewelry for the modern woman, meant to be stacked and layered. She was one of the first to create jewelry with the self-purchasing woman in mind.

The born and raised Italian is a lover of art, working on projects with fine artists such as Ryan McGinley, Barbara Kruger, Cindy Sherman, Laurie Simmons, Mickalene Thomas, Rachel Feinstein, Shirin Neshat and Wangechi Mutu.

In 2015, Rostagno launched an e-commerce site for hard-to-find home décor centered on luxurious craftsmanship called Artemest.

Joining Rostagno on the management team of her jewelry line is Diego McDonald as chief financial officer. McDonald comes to the company from leather accessories brand Ghurka, where he served as president. He also has acted as CFO at Phillips de Pury & Co., John Barrett Holdings and Italian Wine Merchants.

Beth Fazio is the brand’s new creative director and has worked with brands like Coach, Uniqlo, American Eagle, Orient-Express and Jack Parker Corporation.

Meanwhile, Justin Sellman will act as head of digital and marketing, and also comes to the company from Ghurka, where he was the executive vice president of sales and marketing. He has specialized in digital marketing research, brand equity and conversion at companies like NuOrder and Citizens of Humanity.

Ann Acierno joins Ippolita as the senior vice president of sales and merchandising. She most recently was executive vice president of merchandising, design and product at David’s Bridal and has also held senior roles at Karl Lagerfeld, Tommy Hilfiger, Victoria’s Secret and Saks Fifth Avenue.