Lands' End CEO Marchionni steps down after turbulent 19 months

US retailer Lands' End is looking for a new chief executive officer after Federica Marchionni's reign came to an abrupt end on Monday as she stepped down after only 19 months in charge.

Marchionni had attempted to engineer broad changes to the company by introducing more style-based ranges to the mostly outdoor and casualwear normally associated with the catalogue retailer.

She previously held executive posts at Ferrari and Dolce & Gabbana, but was reportedly unpopular with many staff and customers.

Shares in Lands' End have plummeted 33% in the last year, and fell as much as 14% in trading on Monday. The company reported a sales drop of 8.7% in the last fiscal year.

In a statement via a press release from Lands' End, Marchionni thanked those in the company and wished them the best for the future.

"I am honored to have led this extraordinary company and proud to have succeeded in providing a vision to expand its positioning in the industry with a multi-dimensional strategy," she said.