a new maelstrom at the head of the luxury houses?

Does Hedi Slimane‘s departure from Celine herald a major shake-up in the creative departments of luxury brands? With growth in the luxury goods market slowing sharply since the end of 2023, the role of the artistic director has never been so crucial, prompting the heads of the major fashion groups to review their strategy. This trend has been underway for a year now. But the designer’s announcement has reignited speculation, both about his next destination and about the game of musical chairs that is being prepared by Chanel, LVMH and Kering. Not forgetting the Italian group OTB, where the renewal of John Galliano‘s contract is in question.

 
While many positions have been filled in recent weeks at the creative direction of various brands (Celine, Givenchy, Tom Ford, among others), one remains vacant, stirring up the wildest rumors. That of the Chanel house, which parted ways with its artistic director Virginie Viard in June. During its show on October 1st, the house presented a collection created by the studio. When questioned on this occasion, Bruno Pavlovsky, president of the Fashion and Métiers d’art division and of Chanel SAS, the group’s subsidiary in France, dodged the question about the future artistic director, stating that it would take some time.

For several years, Hedi Slimane’s name has been insistently circulating for this highly coveted role. He was closely linked with Karl Lagerfeld, long considered the spiritual son of the German designer who shaped the brand’s modern revival from 1983 until his death in 2019. At 56, beyond his artistic abilities recognized throughout the industry, the former creative director of Celine, who also worked at Dior and Saint Laurent, has the necessary experience to take the reins at Chanel and stands out as the number one candidate.

In an ultra-competitive market that is losing momentum, the task awaiting the future artistic director of the Parisian house is immense. They will need to know how to work with the numerous teams of this massive enterprise, striking the right balance between Chanel’s iconic codes and a new aesthetic that propels the brand forward, aligned with a younger and more diverse clientele, while considering environmental and societal issues.

Among other contenders for the throne, a slew of names have been mentioned, such as Phoebe Philo, but the former Celine artistic director is in the midst of developing her own brand, just like Simon Porte Jacquemus, who leads a rapidly expanding label. There has also been talk of Sarah Burton, who brilliantly succeeded Alexander McQueen for fourteen years, but she has just been appointed head of Givenchy, or the former creative director of Valentino, Pierpaolo Piccioli, currently on the market, like Jeremy Scott, who left Moschino in March 2023 and was once appointed as a potential successor to Karl Lagerfeld.

Many other candidates have been mentioned, including the Belgian designer Pieter Mulier, who has admirably evolved the legacy of Alaïa since 2021, and especially John Galliano, who boasts extensive experience and a reputation as a fashion genius. He would have all the assets to energize Chanel and elevate it to new heights. After boldly reviving Christian Dior, the star creator was fired for anti-Semitic remarks made under the influence of alcohol. After a four-year purge, John Galliano returned to the fashion scene, regaining his prestige by taking the helm at Maison Margiela, where he has successfully worked for ten years.

His five-year contract, renewed in 2019, expires this October and, according to our information, it is expected to come to an end. During the last Milan Fashion Week in September, the fashion group, which owns the brand alongside Marni, Jil Sander, and Diesel, just indicated that “discussions were ongoing.” However, it seems that significant changes are underway within the Italian group, which also hosts talented creators like Lucie and Luke Meier at Jil Sander, who are reportedly leaving, Francesco Risso at Marni, and Glenn Martens at Diesel.

The latter recently announced that he was stepping down from the creative direction of Y/Project, which he had led since 2013. Under his guidance, the brand experienced exponential growth. But since his departure was announced, it has been placed under judicial reorganization and seeks a buyer. Over the past ten years, the Belgian designer has established himself as one of the most interesting creators on the Paris fashion scene. Since 2020, he has led the Italian brand Diesel’s creative direction, successfully bringing it back to the fashion forefront. However, his hyper-creative talent might seem a bit underutilized within this commercial brand, and some might see him succeeding John Galliano at Maison Margiela…

What destination for Galliano?

John Galliano, on his side, could, according to recent speculations, head to Christian Dior or Fendi. These two LVMH houses have been at the center of discussions for several months. At the flagship house of the world’s number one luxury brand, the current artistic director of women’s collections, Maria Grazia Chiuri, seems unmovable. Since 2016, she has masterfully led the Women’s division, quadrupling its turnover in nearly eight years. However, she is regularly rumored to be leaving.

This summer, some rumors suggested she was heading to Fendi. Nonetheless, there has been speculation the stylist could move to the competition by transferring to Gucci, where the post-Alessandro Michele transition is not going as smoothly as expected. At the creative helm since 2023, Sabato De Sarno has not yet reversed the trend, as the brand’s sales continue to decline. Even though Kering has recently appointed a new leader for its flagship brand, it seems unlikely that they would abruptly change strategy, after having invested so much in the young Italian designer.

In September, the media also assured, citing industry sources, that Pierpaolo Piccioli was favored to take the creative direction of Fendi. According to many observers, Kim Jones, head of Dior’s men’s collections since March 2018, has not convinced within the Roman house, where he is also in charge of women’s ready-to-wear and haute couture since 2020. His departure from Fendi, whose results are declining, has been talked about for at least a year, fueling rumors about potential cascading changes within LVMH.

With the recent appointments of Sarah Burton at Givenchy and Michael Rider at Celine, the group led by Bernard Arnault has already begun reorganizing its brands’ creative directions. These two experienced profiles seem to indicate a willingness to prioritize designers who are fully aligned with the identity of the houses. Michael Rider has worked extensively at Celine under the guidance of Phoebe Philo, and Sarah Burton was Alexander McQueen’s right hand, who once worked at Givenchy.

Regarding their other emblematic brand, Louis Vuitton, the artistic directions appear solid. On the women’s side, Nicolas Ghesquière recently had his contract renewed, while on the men’s side, star designer-singer Pharrell Williams, appointed a year and a half ago, seems well established.

What about Dior, then, if Maria Grazia Chiuri were to leave? Beyond the hypothesis of John Galliano, the name Jonathan Anderson is also circulating. The Irish designer, who owns his own brand JW Anderson, has been leading the Spanish house Loewe‘s creation since 2013, significantly growing and making it highly desirable. At 40, the stylist, known for his highly original and slightly surrealistic aesthetic, is undoubtedly at a turning point and aspires for change. Clearly, he possesses all the assets to evolve within LVMH… Or elsewhere. At Dior, they resort to a “no comment.”