Hugo Lucchino takes over at Villa Noailles and confirms the Hyères festival

Unanimously chosen by a jury, he succeeds Jean-Pierre Blanc with a mandate to revive a weakened institution.

Villa Noailles has found its new director. Hugo Lucchino was unanimously chosen by a jury on 25 July to succeed Jean-Pierre Blanc, the long-standing figurehead of the Hyères art centre. His appointment, approved by the mayors of Hyères and Toulon, was announced on 14 August, together with confirmation that the 2025 edition of the International Festival of Fashion, Photography and Accessories will take place.

Educated at the Sorbonne and the École du Louvre, the new director joins an institution going through a difficult period, both financially and in terms of governance, according to the specialist press. Confirmation of the festival, an event that has launched many fashion designers since it was founded, was one of the first things professionals were waiting for.

Built between 1923 and 1925 by the architect Robert Mallet-Stevens for the patrons Charles and Marie-Laure de Noailles, the villa overlooks the old town of Hyères. Publicly owned, it now houses an art centre devoted to fashion, architecture, design and photography, which also organises Design Parade.

For the Var, the stakes go beyond culture: the Villa Noailles festivals draw professionals, journalists and visitors from across Europe every year.