Photography via Instagram/ @lofficielmalaysia
Designer Musical Chairs: Your Cheat Sheet for Understanding Who’s Where Right Now
By
FASHION Staff
Date January 17, 2018
To bring you up to speed in the latest game of designer musical chairs, Kim Jones is leaving Louis Vuitton, Phoebe Philo has exited Céline, Nicola Formichetti has stepped down from Diesel, David Koma has departed from Mugler and Jonathan Saunders has exited Diane Von Furstenburg.
But that wasn’t all for the latest fashion house changes — Burberry announced that longtime chief creative Christopher Bailey is set to exit the brand in 2018 and Kim Jones is rumoured to be heading over. Lanvin announced little known designer Olivier Lapidus as artistic director, Paul Surridge‘s shifted to Roberto Cavalli, Clare Waight-Keller was appointment as Givenchy‘s artistic director, and Natacha Ramsay-Levi‘s moved to Chloé.
Last year, Calvin Klein Inc. put the rumours to rest: Raf Simons was officially appointed the Chief Creative Officer of the brand (Francisco Costa and Italo Zucchelli announced their departure not too long ago), which meant he will be overseeing all aspects of the brand globally (ie. Calvin Klein Collection, Calvin Klein Platinum, Calvin Klein, Calvin Klein Jeans, Calvin Klein Underwear and Calvin Klein Home). Meanwhile, Dior finally announced its new creative director and it’s none other than Maria Grazia Chiuri. The former Valentino designer, who spent 17 years with the brand, left her artistic partner of eight years, Pierpaolo Piccioli, and is the first-ever female to be appointed the role at Dior. Cue Beyoncé’s “Run the World.”
In the past couple of years, we’ve seen a lot of changes and new faces (Alessandro Michele for Gucci, Demna Gvasalia for Balenciaga, to name a few). So if you, like us, are starting to get very confused as to who’s where at the moment, consider this your go-to fashion designer cheat sheet.
Fashion Designer Musical Chairs
Chloé
Current designer: Natacha Ramsay-Levi (2017-present)
Preceded by: Clare Waight Keller (2011-present); Hannah MacGibbon; Phoebe Philo; Stella McCartney ; Karl Lagerfeld
Founded by: Gaby Aghion and Jacques Lenoir
Established in: 1952
Fashion Designer Musical Chairs
Valentino
Current designer: Pierpaolo Piccioli
Preceded by: Maria Grazia Chiuri (co-creative director 2008-2016)
Founded by: Valentino Clemente Ludovico Garavani
Established in: 1960
Fashion Designer Musical Chairs
Gucci
Current designer: Alessandro Michele (2015-present)
Preceded by: Frida Giannini (2006-2015); Tom Ford (1994-2004)
Founded by: Guccio Gucci
Established in: 1921
Fashion Designer Musical Chairs
Hermès
Current designer: Nadège Vamjee-Cybulski (2014-present)
Preceded by: Christophe Lemaire (2010-2014)
Founded by: Thierry Hermès
Established in: 1837
Fashion Designer Musical Chairs
Balenciaga
Current designer: Demna Gvasalia (2015-present)
Preceded by: Alexander Wang (2013-2015) ; Nicolas Ghesquière (1997-2012)
Founded by: Cristóbal Balenciaga
Established in: 1919
Fashion Designer Musical Chairs
Céline
Current designer: Phoebe Philo (2008-present)
Preceded by: Michael Kors (1997-2004)
Founded by: Céline Vipiana
Established in: 1945
Fashion Designer Musical Chairs
Dior
Current designer: Maria Grazia Chiuri
Preceded by: Raf Simons (2012-2015) ; John Galliano (1997-2011) ; Yves Saint Laurent (1957-1960)
Founded by: Christian Dior
Established in: 1946
FashiFashion Designer Musical Chairson Designers
Balmain
Current designer: Olivier Rousteing (2011-present)
Preceded by: Oscar de la Renta (1993-2002)
Founded by: Pierre Balmain
Established in: 1946
Fashion Designer Musical Chairs
Chanel
Current designer: Karl Lagerfeld (1983-present)
Founded by: Coco Chanel
Established in: 1909
Fashion Designer Musical Chairs
Oscar de la Renta
Current designer: Peter Copping (2014-present)
Preceded by: Oscar de la Renta (1965-2014)
Founded by: Oscar de la Renta
Established in: 1965
Fashion Designer Musical Chairs
Burberry
Current designer: Christopher Bailey (2001-present)
Founded by: Thomas Burberry
Established in: 1856
Fashion Designer Musical Chairs
(Yves) Saint Laurent
Current designer: Anthony Vaccarello
Preceded by: Hedi Slimane (2012-2016)
Founded by: Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé
Established in: 1961
Fashion Designer Musical Chairs
Alexander McQueen
Current designer: Sarah Burton (2010-present)
Preceded by: Alexander Lee McQueen (1992-2010)
Founded by: Alexander Lee McQueen
Established in: 1992
Fashion Designer Musical Chairs
Kenzo
Current designer: Humberto Leon and Carol Lim (2011-present)
Preceded by: Antonio Marras (2004-2011)
Founded by: Kenzo Takada
Established in: 1970
Fashion Designer Musical Chairs
Louis Vuitton
Current designer: Nicolas Ghesquière (2013-present)
Preceded by: Marc Jacobs (1997-2014)
Founded by: Louis Vuitton
Established in: 1854
Fashion Designer Musical Chairs
Nina Ricci
Current designer: Guillaume Henry (2015-present)
Preceded by: Peter Copping (2009-2015) ; Olivier Theyskens (2006-2009)
Founded by: Maria “Nina” Ricci
Established in: 1932
Fashion Designer Musical Chairs
Fendi
Current designer: Karl Lagerfeld (1965-present) and Silvia Venturini Fendi (1994-present)
Founded by: Adele and Edoardo Fendi
Established in: 1925
Fashion Designer Musical Chairs
Maison Margiela
Current designer: John Galliano (2014-present)
Founded by: Martin Margiela
Established in: 1988
Fashion Designer Musical Chairs
Calvin Klein
Current designer: Raf Simons (2016-present)
Preceded by: Francisco Costa (2003-2016)
Founded by: Calvin Klein
Established in: 1968
Fashion Designer Musical Chairs
Marni
Current designer: Francesco Rissi
Preceded by: Consuelo Castiglioni (1994-2016)
Founded by: Consuelo and Gianni Castiglioni
Established in: 1994
Fashion Designer Musical Chairs
Carven
Current designer: Serge Ruffieux
Preceded by: Alexis Martial and Adrien Caillaudaud (2014-2016); Guillaume Henry (2009-2014)
Founded by: Marie-Louise Carven
Established in: 1945
Fashion Designer Musical Chairs
Jil Sander
Current designer: Rodolfo Paglialunga (2013-present)
Preceded by: Jil Sander (2012-2013); Raf Simons (2005-2012)
Founded by: Jil Sander
Established in: 1968
Fashion Designer Musical Chairs
Givenchy
Current designer: Clare Waight Keller (2017-present)
Preceded by: Riccardo Tisci (2005-2017); Julien Macdonald (2001-2005); Alexander McQueen (1996-2001); John Galliano (1995-1996)
Founded by: Hubert de Givenchy
Established in: 1952
Fashion Designer Musical Chairs
Roberto Cavalli
Current designer: Paul Surridge (2017-present)
Preceded by: Peter Dundas (2015-2016); Roberto Cavalli (1970-2015)
Founded by: Roberto Cavalli
Established in: 1970
Fashion Designer Musical Chairs
Lanvin
Current designer: Olivier Lapidus (2017-present)
Preceded by: Bouchra Jarrar (2016-2017); Alber Elbaz (2002-2015)
Founded by: Jeanne Lanvin
Established in: 1889
Fashion Designer Musical Chairs
Burberry
Current designer: TBD
Preceded by: Christopher Bailey (2001-2018)
Founded by: Thomas Burberry
Established in: 1856
Fashion Designer Musical Chairs
Diane von Furstenburg
Current designer: Unknown (2017-present)
Preceded by: Jonathan Saunders (2015-2017);
Founded by: Diane Von Furstenberg
Established in: 1972
Fashion Designer Musical Chairs
Mugler
Current designer: Casey Cadwallader (2017-present)
Preceded by: David Koma (2013-2017);
Founded by: Thierry Mugler
Established in: 1974
Fashion Designer Musical Chairs
Diesel
Current designer: Unknown (2017-present)
Preceded by: Nicola Formichetti (2013-2017);
Founded by: Renzo Rosso
Established in: 1978
Fashion Designer Musical Chairs
Céline
Current designer: Unknown (2017-present)
Preceded by: Phoebe Philo (2008-2017);
Founded by: Céline Vipiana
Established in: 1945
Fashion Designer Musical Chairs
Louis Vuitton
Current designer: Kim Jones (2011- Jan. 18, 2018)
Preceded by: TBA
Founded by: Louis Vuitton
Established in: 1854
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, which meant he will be overseeing all aspects of the brand globally (ie. Calvin Klein Collection, Calvin Klein Platinum, Calvin Klein, Calvin Klein Jeans, Calvin Klein Underwear and Calvin Klein Home). Meanwhile, Dior finally announced its new creative director and it's none other than Maria Grazia Chiuri. The former Valentino designer, who spent 17 years with the brand, left her artistic partner of eight years, Pierpaolo Piccioli, and is the first-ever female to be appointed the role at Dior. Cue Beyoncé's "Run the World."
In the past couple of years, we've seen a lot of changes and new faces (Alessandro Michele for Gucci, Demna Gvasalia for Balenciaga, to name a few). So if you, like us, are starting to get very confused as to who’s where at the moment, consider this your go-to fashion designer cheat sheet.
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