Hush names Coach's Melissa Dick as new creative chief

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Feb 7, 2023

Expanding womenswear and lifestyle brand Hush has named Melissa Dick as its new Chief Creative Officer. She joins from Tapestry’s Coach brand, where she spent five years and was VP Global Head of Creative Strategy & Studio. 

She also has more than 20 years’ experience in the fashion retail and media industries, having worked in senior roles at Elle, Style.com, Dazed and ASOS.

The appointment comes as Hush co-founder Mandy Watkins (who launched the business 20 years ago with her husband Rupert Youngman) prepares to move into a new role as brand ambassador.

Under Watkins, the label has grown to become a £70 million turnover business.

The company said that as Dick settles into her new job, Watkins will work with her before transitioning into her ambassador role.

The new creative chief’s arrival comes after another major change was announced in December with Sarah Miles having been named as its new CEO. She joined the firm earlier this month from LVMH’s specialist beauty retailer Sephora, having previously been CEO of UK business Feelunique that Sephora acquired and rebranded.

Melissa Dick said of her new post: “Hush… is a brand that has become much loved for bringing fashion and functionality together with a laid-back attitude that is extremely compelling for women today. I am sincerely grateful to Mandy, under whose unique creative leadership Hush has thrived, for trusting me with the future creative direction as we imagine the next chapter of [its] story and set the direction for a bold and exciting future.” 

And Miles added that Dick’s “decades of experience in building brand equity by leveraging content, culture and storytelling for well-known consumer brands will be of huge benefit to Hush as it builds on the success delivered to date under Mandy’s creative leadership”.