Industry sources are still trying to figure out what triggered the pre-Memorial Day departure of Tom Florio, a one-time top publishing executive at Condé Nast, from his latest gig as a CEO of Advanstar Fashion Group.
Joe Loggia, the CEO of Advanstar who hired Florio in March 2012 in large part to glitz up the MAGIC men’s apparel show, told Media Ink that Florio “had been out of the fashion job since last December, but he was working on special projects.”
Nobody took his place. Loggia said the position has been eliminated.
Florio could not be reached, but in a recent interview, he told Fashion Week Daily, “No, I am no longer affiliated with the company.”
One source said that Florio’s “dream” was “to bring in big name designers such as Versace, and have people like Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour make appearances at the fashion show. But it never happened.” Loggia said that the MAGIC show attendance is up — but not dramatically. “Attendance has been growing by single digit points every year,” he said.
Florio was “not fired. It was mutual. . . I would not characterize it as a demise. He came in, he did some things, and he decided to move on,” Loggia said.
He also said they were looking at a potential deal to do together as recently as last month, “but it did not come to fruition.” He declined to name the target.
One industry source said that Florio never quite fit in, coming from the glitzy, high-powered world of runways and top fashion designers to the more nitty-gritty trade shows. “He was kind of a natty dresser, and he would show up wearing a $4,000 suit, making sales calls on a jeans designer. . .’
“The trade show business can be a little tricky,” Loggia said.
One source said Florio is seeking to line up venture partners for deals on his own.