Fashion's Revolving Door

Who's Out, Who's In, and Who is Going to Take Over a Major House Very Soon?

The job of luxury fashion designer—excuse me, “creative director”—has become just that: a job. And short-term one at that. 

How short? WWD recently reported that “half the creative directors at roughly 40 houses have been in their positions for five years or less.”

Contracts are now usually for three—and maybe only two—years. Shareholders want to see results asap, and have a hard time comprehending that women's wear collections are designed and presented—to the public as well as retailer—six months or more ahead of time, and for menswear, it's nine to 12 months. (Pharrell's debut Louis Vuitton show in June was his Spring-Summer 2024 collection.) 

I have heard more than one financier ask why Gucci's turnaround is taking so long, since creative director Alessandro Michele was ousted last November. To which I explain: Gucci is still selling Michele's designs; the new creative director Sabato de Sarno's first show is this fall, those clothes won't be in stores until 2024, and sales figures will come many more months after that.  

The revolving door is spinning dizzily now. Some houses have openings that need filling, such as Ann Demeulemeester, Bally, and Chloé (though it's been reported that Chemena Kamali, former women’s design director for Saint Laurent, has quietly been brought in there). 

Others are said to be looking for new talent before the post has been vacated—and one of those brands has been talking to creatives outside of the fashion community, namely Hollywood, and was doing so long before Louis Vuitton hired Pharrell. 

And I keep hearing that at least two major houses are not going to renew the contracts of their high-profile designers.

What no one is talking about is where one of these recently-departed designers is going to land, and I am here to tell you that said designer is going to a top Paris-based house very soon.

Who, you ask?