François Russo

• Name — Francois Russo • Born — 1966 • Occupation — Designer • Education — Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales • Known for — Founder of Maison Takuya

Francois Russo graduated from Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC Paris) in 1989 and began his career at Cartier, where he helped establish Cartier's Institut Supérieur de Marketing du Luxe (ISML). Russo then moved to the marketing division of L'Oréal, and then to The French Mint where he was appointed International Director in 1991. In 1995, he joined Havas Advertising. In 2001 he founded an image agency where he engaged in art direction, professional photography and interior design. In 1999, he became an advisor to the Swiss private bank Lombard Odier & Cie. In 2003, Russo joined French designer Andrée Putman, as co-chairman of her agency. Their first project together was the design of the first store for the perfume brand Guerlain (LVMH Group) on the Champs-Elysées in Paris. Other design projects included hotels (The Putman in Hong Kong, Spa of Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich), boutiques and corners (Helena Rubinstein worldwide and Anne Fontaine in Tokyo, Paris and New York), private residences, company headquarters (Novartis in Basel), furnishing (Cappellini, Poltrona Frau, Pleyel, Reflex, Emeco), one-off items and collections (Christofle, Mont-Blanc, Chivas, Louis Vuitton) and design consulting (Novartis Campus Basel, Chanel). In 2005 Russo was engaged as a design consultant for Chanel. In 2007, he designed the commemorative Jacques Helleu Chair for the leading Italian furniture maker, Poltrona Frau. As of 2017, Russo continues to head the luxury leather goods company Maison Takuya after granting control of the brand to luxury retailer Club 21.

François Russo is recorded as fashion designer.