Federica Marchionni was forced out as chief executive of Lands’ End Inc., capping a tumultuous 19 months on the job in which she tried to fashion broad changes at the catalog retailer that roiled employees and turned off shoppers.

The former Ferrari and Dolce & Gabbana executive sought to inject more style into the maker of outdoorsy, casual clothes by adding slimmer-fits, stiletto heels and a new line of activewear. She overhauled the catalog, hired celebrity photographers and tapped a Vogue stylist for input. A photo shoot for the new activewear line took place recently in the Marshall Islands, a costly location in the Pacific Ocean, according to people familiar with the situation.

Despite those efforts, the 44-year-old CEO was never able to get Lands’ End’s employees to buy into her vision, according to people familiar with the situation. A point of contention was that she only spent about one week a month at the company’s Dodgeville, Wis., headquarters, preferring instead to work out of an office in New York’s garment district.

As losses piled up, the board became concerned that Ms. Marchionni was trying to make too many changes too quickly, the people said. The company posted a loss of $7.7 million for the six months ended July 29, compared with a profit of $9.2 million a year ago. Sales fell 7.6% to $565 million over that period.

The departure leaves the company without a permanent CEO heading into the crucial holiday season. Ms. Marchionni, in a news release, said she and the board “agreed it is time for others to bring Lands’ End into the future.”