Fashion thrives on change, and behind these status-quo-challenging shakeups often lie designers. Gabrielle Chanel’s singular vision to liberate women from restrictive clothing spurred the immense success of her label, Chanel, and then there’s Daniel Lee, whose tenure at Bottega Veneta saw fringed skirts and the inception of celebrity-favourite It-bags like the Jodie, which ushered in a new era of youthfulness at the historic Italian label.
This undercurrent of change is more relevant than ever in 2024, considering the reshuffling of personnel at fashion’s top jobs. With this typically comes a drastic switch in the aesthetic sensibilities of the brand—think Sabato De Sarno’s understated take at Gucci compared to Alessandro Michele’s tendency toward romantic excess, an approach he’s already bringing to Valentino.
As of August this year, we’ve seen creative directors like Peter Hawkings and Dries Van Noten unexpectedly bowing out at their respective houses without announcing a successor. Van Noten, in particular, embraces the possibility of his replacement veering away from the codes he’s established over 38 years at his eponymous brand. “No, I absolutely don’t want them to do it the way that I do,” the member of the Antwerp Six told Business of Fashion’s Tim Blanks in an interview, explaining that he’d prefer them to approach his brand with a “new eye”.
Chanel and Givenchy have faced the same situation since Virginie Viard and Matthew M. Williams left their posts at the respective fashion houses. In the case of such industry power players, speculation amongst fashion insiders about Viard and Williams’s potential successors are understandably rife.
For one, there were reports by the likes of Fashionnetwork on John Galliano’s rumoured decision to leave Maison Margiela for Fendi or Chanel—or even to make a return at Dior—although Maison Margiela has not confirmed this. Amongst the three labels, though, Fendi has been highlighted as the most likely destination for Galliano if he were to be tapped for another brand, considering his past controversies.
Notably, Maison Margiela is missing from the roster of upcoming presentations for Spring/Summer 2025, though an event will be staged by the house in late September.
In other news, Celine’s Hedi Slimane—known for his distinctive svelte silhouettes and references to the rock’n’roll genre—is speculated to be in the running for Chanel’s top position once again by major publications like W and Highsnobiety. He had previously faced similar rumours when he left Saint Laurent in 2016.
But Galliano and Slimane are not the only creative directors being watched closely—so is Loewe’s Jonathan Anderson, who has been said by multiple sources on the internet to leave Loewe for Gucci. This, like many others on this list, has not been officially confirmed.
Over at other fashion houses, the future seems a tad more certain with new creative directors already in place. See the latest on the confirmed changes in creative directors at each brand ahead.
Sarah Burton Is Givenchy’s New Creative Director
One of the biggest announcements coming out of New York Fashion Week? Sarah Burton is the new creative director of Givenchy. Burton succeeds Matthew M. Williams, who exited the French luxury fashion house in January 2024.
Burton is the former creative director of Alexander McQueen, and the longtime right-hand woman of the brand’s late founder, Lee McQueen. During her tenure at Alexander McQueen, which she helmed from 2010 to 2023, she designed the royal wedding dress for Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton. The British designer was also awarded an OBE for her services to British fashion.
Burton will present her first collection for Givenchy during Paris Fashion Week in March 2025. She will oversee both women’s and men’s collections.
“It is a great honour to be joining the beautiful house of Givenchy, it is a jewel,” Burton told WWD. “I am so excited to be able to write the next chapter in the story of this iconic house and to bring to Givenchy my own vision, sensibility and beliefs.”
Haider Ackermann Replaces Peter Hawkings At Tom Ford
Haider Ackermann is the new creative director of Tom Ford. He replaces Peter Hawkings, who led the American luxury label for one year and departed in July 2024.
“It is with tremendous pride that I will seek to honour the legacy of Tom Ford, a man I have long admired and have the utmost respect for,” says Ackermann, who previously helmed Berluti. “I am much looking forward to what lies ahead.”
Tom Ford offered his stamp of approval: “I have long been a great fan of Haider’s work. I find both his womenswear and menswear equally compelling. He is an incredible colourist, his tailoring is sharp, and above all he is modern. We share many of the same historical references, and I could not be more excited to see what he does with the brand.”
Ackermann succeeds Peter Hawkings as creative director of #TomFord. He will show his debut collection at Paris Fashion Week in March 2025. “I suspect that I will be the first on my feet to applaud after his show in March,” says Ford. Like Ford, Ackermann has a star appeal: his headline-making designs have been worn on the red carpet by celebrities like Timothée Chalamet, Tilda Swinton and Kylie Jenner.
David Koma Joins Blumarine
Earlier this week, Blumarine announced that it has tapped David Koma as its new creative director following Walter Chiapponi’s exit in March. This was unexpected but not shocking, considering how the designer’s slinky, celebrity-favourite offerings at his eponymous brand reflects that of Blumarine’s.
Veronica Leoni Joins Calvin Klein
Likewise, Veronica Leoni at Calvin Klein just makes sense. Pre-Calvin Klein, the Italian designer had cut her teeth at the likes of The Row and Phoebe Philo’s Céline—who excel at producing elevated, wearable basics—before launching her own brand, Quira. Come next March, expect a lineup of tailored, minimal pieces on Calvin Klein’s Fall/Winter 2025 runway.
Paul Andrew Joins Sergio Rossi
Paul Andrew, who was previously at Alexander McQueen and Ferragamo, was just onboarded as footwear giant Sergio Rossi’s creative director. Andrew also has his own label, Paul Andrew.
This article was first published by Nicole Ng on 5 August 2024. It was last updated on 9 September 2024 with additional reporting from Pameyla Cambe.
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