John Lewis loses fashion retail guru Peter Ruis to Jigsaw

Peter Ruis leaves the clothing side of the business in good shape. Photograph: David Levene for the Guardian

Peter Ruis, the man who transformed John Lewis from a staid shop best known for its sensible cardigans and cosy slippers into a fashion mecca, is leaving the department store to become the boss of Jigsaw.

After almost nine years at the retailer, six in charge of fashion, Ruis leaves the clothing side of the business in good shape. Fashion sales topped ￡1.1bn last year, up from ￡700m in 2005, after a string of rave reviews for its own-label brand and designer collections.

Andy Street, managing director at John Lewis, said everyone would be sad to see Ruis go. "Peter has revolutionised our fashion, home and technology offer," he said.

Ruis, who has also worked at Marks & Spencer, starts at Jigsaw in September, raising hopes that he can sprinkle some magic over the 61-store retailer, which analysts say has become dull and tired.

Jigsaw has lost its status as a prominent niche brand on the UK high street, according to Maureen Hinton, a retail analyst at Verdict. She said: "It seems to have been stuck in a rut and has got an air of yesterday about it … It just needs someone to go in there and shake it up and rejuvenate it."

"[Peter Ruis] has got a very good brand background. He understands what brands need to do to stand out."

Jigsaw had the potential to be a successful niche brand, like Hobbs and Ted Baker, she added, "but at the moment, it is just a bit dull."

Ruis said he was "hugely excited to be joining such an iconic British brand", which he said had "huge untapped potential".

Under Ruis's stewardship, John Lewis clothing become a talking point on the fashion pages. He dropped lines with an old-fashioned reputation, such as the British label Jacques Vert, and introduced a range of well-received new collections, such as Somerset, by Alice Temperley, and the cheaper brand Kin.

The department store sought to burnish its fashion credentials further last month by putting John Lewis's own-brand menswear on the catwalk at an elite London fashion event.

"We have taken the customer with us, and the more fashionable we get, the more interested they become," Ruis told the Observer in an interview in March.

He attributed the retailer's success to attracting well-heeled customers across the age range, rather than targeting the 18- 24-year-olds looking for a party outfit.

"Historically, we have been told that our customers are more affluent and a bit older, but increasingly our research has shown that to be a bit simplistic," he said.

Paula Nickolds will take over his job as buying and brand director in the autumn. Nickolds, 40, joined the company as a graduate trainee 19 years ago and has worked her way up to her current position, as buying director for home products.

"She has a got a good understanding of the John Lewis customer and where [the business] is going as well," Hinton said."

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