Image copyright Ben Gabbe Image caption Australian Justin O'Shea said he was "deeply honoured to undertake this new challenge for such prestigious and celebrated menswear house"

One of Italy's top luxury fashion houses, Brioni, is preparing to welcome an "unconventional" new creative director - heavily tattooed Australian Justin O'Shea.

The appointment has been widely described as surprising, mostly because Mr O'Shea is a self-taught retailer with no formal design experience.

The Australian will take up the position from 1 April.

Italy's Brioni was founded in 1945 and is now owned by luxury group Kering.

Brioni suits have been regarded as heritage luxury items for many years. They were worn by James Bond actors - from GoldenEye to Casino Royale - and they cost from about $8,000 (£5,633) to as much as $45,000.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Pierce Brosnan wore Brioni suits in all of his James Bond movies and Daniel Craig wore one in Casino Royale

However, the brand has more recently been seen as old-fashioned and lacking in any contemporary look or feel.

Senior Kering executive Grita Loebsack welcomed Mr O'Shea to the role and described him as "an unconventional profile for such a position".

"Justin brings a holistic approach and strong business understanding," Ms Loebsack said. "I believe his vision will accurately translate into this role and add a distinctive signature to the house."

From Toowoomba in the state of Queensland, Mr O'Shea was most recently the global buying director and then global fashion director for German online retailer MyTheresa.

He spent seven years with the Berlin-based womenswear retailer and is widely regarded as being responsible for its success.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Justin O'Shea with long-time girlfriend Veronika Heilbrunner

He said his move to Brioni was an easy decision to make.

"The menswear market of today offers unique opportunities and it was an easy decision to be part of the revitalising of this prized brand," he said.

"This house has all the pieces of the puzzle - the craftsmanship, the quality and an incredible archive. I am eager to reinterpret all these elements and make them relevant to today's customer."

Highly visible

The Australian self-taught retailer is seen as highly visible on social media and in Europe's fashion world.

As luxury brands continue to fight for loyal customers, and compete with online retailers, fashion experts have said Mr O'Shea's high social media profile and keen understanding of e-commerce could be one of the main reasons Brioni hired him.

Mr O'Shea announced his new appointment within seconds of it being made public to his 80,000 Instagram followers.

Image caption Mr O'Shea announced his new appointment within seconds of it being made public to his 80,000 Instagram followers

Brioni's chief executive Gianluca Flore said she was confident Mr O'Shea's creative direction would be instrumental in driving "dynamism and innovation" into the 71-year old brand.

Brioni has about 1,200 employees and was bought by Kering, formerly PPR, in 2011.

At the time, the firm said the acquisition of Brioni completed its portfolio of luxury brands in the menswear sector.

Kering's brands today include Gucci, Alexander McQueen and Stella McCartney, among several others.