L-R - Singer Seal, Helen Willerton, managing director at Chloé and Ralph Toledano. (Getty Images)

After buying Hermès’ 45 per cent stake in Jean Paul Gaultier last year and talking up its development potential, Spanish luxury group Puig has put yet more money where its mouth is. It just announced the appointment of senior luxury executive Ralph Toledano to a newly-created position, president of the fashion division. If you want to send a signal to the fashion community that you are intent on being a serious player, this is a pretty good way to do it.

Mr Toledano, of course, is the ex-CEO and chairman of Chloé and the man who steered that brand through its explosive growth under Stella McCartney and Phoebe Philo before owner Richemont decided they wanted to make a change just over a year ago. Most recently he signed on as chairman of US knitwear company St John, a post he will continue to hold. He is also known as the man who brought fashion darling Alber Elbaz to Paris when he hired him as designer for Guy Laroche in 1996 and generally as a talent-spotter and merchandise-man (those Chloé bags!).

Puig is primarily a fragrance group, but also owns fashion brands Carolina Herrera, Nina Ricci, Gaultier and Paco Rabanne. They have always been seen as a much smaller player in the luxury business than the publicly-listed LVMH, PPR, and Richemont, but Mr Toledano’s presence will bring more attention than usual to their moves.