A Thread about all the designer musical chairs

Recapping who’s gone where and why

The role of creative director at a luxury house is one of the fashion industry’s most coveted positions. Still, the appointment is often a poisoned chalice. New designers are ushered in with great excitement, only to find that the success of the entire brand rests on their shoulders. Often, they’re expected to transform the fate of an ailing company in just a few seasons, the fashion equivalent of turning the Titanic.

Alongside this pressure, there’s also the chorus of non-stop commentary and analysis. As the fashion industry expands, and interest in the business side surges, it’s no longer just the traditional pundits offering their opinions. Instead, a creative director needs to withstand the court of public opinion, where criticism is doled out on a daily basis by a sprawling jury on social media.

@daliaelichavezHAHAHA no because you guys know it’s true💀😂 #foryou #comedy #metgala #fashion #fyp

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In recent years, these trials have become shorter, and more brutal. Creative directors cycle in and out of houses in the blink of an eye, whilst communications departments hurriedly scribble press releases to disseminate the news. As the economic pressure mounts, everyone’s searching for a creative director-shaped silver bullet to cleave through these trying times.

This year, the musical chairs reached fever pitch, culminating in the long-awaited Chanel announcement last week.

So, in a year bookended by creative director conversations, how did it all shake out? In case you haven’t managed to keep up (I don’t blame you), this week’s newsletter is a recap of the fashion moves we witnessed in 2024, in alphabetical order - plus a little analysis at the end. For ease, I’ve used the term ‘creative director’ (CD) throughout, but some brands call the role ‘artistic director’ or similar.

just kidding

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A

A-COLD-WALL*
A small but mighty player in the contemporary luxury space, designer Samuel Ross was the Virgil Abloh prodigy who forecasted the trend for cool, functional outdoor gear. He founded A-COLD-WALL* in 2015, and in 2018 took on investment from Tomorrow Ltd. (a brand incubator that provides financial and operational support to small brands to help them grow.)

In February, Tomorrow announced they would acquire 100% of the brand, whilst Ross would be departing for new projects under his SR_A label (Samuel Ross Atelier). Under SR_A, Ross has already collaborated on various products including fragrance with Acqua di Parma, watches with Hublot and headphones with Beats.

In October, he announced his first major fashion move since departing ACW: a multi-year partnership with Zara, where he’ll release bi-annual menswear collections under the label “SR_A Engineered by Zara.”

Alexander McQueen
Whilst new creative director Sean McGirr was officially announced in October 2023, his first collection was shown in March this year, hence the inclusion. He joined the brand after Sarah Burton’s departure. Burton was Lee McQueen’s (that’s Alexander, he was known personally as ‘Lee’) right hand before his death in 2010. Whilst nobody could rival the tortured creative genius of McQueen himself, the industry praised her respectful and skilled work at the house, moving it forward both commercially and creatively, without rupturing his legacy.

As for McGirr, he joined the brand from JW Anderson, where he headed up ready-to-wear. Prior to that he worked at Dries van Noten, Burberry and Uniqlo under Christophe Lemaire. I’m guessing he was appointed in the hope of capturing some of the Zeitgeisty-meets-luxury energy of his old boss, fellow Irishman Jonathan Anderson. (Anderson’s success at LOEWE is exactly what every CEO hopes for in a new designer.)

Whilst McGirr’s first collection received lukewarm reviews, his second in September was met with a better response. In general the message seemed to be “chill out and give him time”, although these days people rarely do. Product-wise I’d say the ‘hoof boots’ have been the biggest hit, an amalgamation of Lee’s subversive energy, mixed with our current taste for weird shoes and horse-related things. Marketing-wise, Lana del Rey wearing the brand at the Met Gala was a strong move.

B

Bottega Veneta
There was a bittersweet feeling in fashion circles as news emerged that Bottega Veneta designer Matthieu Blazy was the frontrunner for Chanel. His departure was officially announced last Friday.

Blazy’s work for BV has been a source of great joy amongst fashion fans, and something of a succession success story in itself. He was promoted after star talent Daniel Lee’s sudden departure from the brand in 2021 (Lee is now at Burberry). Critics wondered if he could continue Lee’s explosive success, which marked a real turnaround era for the brand. But Blazy took what Lee had started and made it even better, focusing on creativity and craftsmanship, and throwing the odd hype moment in the mix. Remember Kate Moss in the flannel shirt and jeans combo, which turned out to be made of leather?

Still, many feel excited about his replacement, Louise Trotter, a designer with a diverse range of experience across both luxury and elevated high street brands. In my mind, I see her as a sportier, more practical Phoebe Philo. I think a lot of people (myself included) are also excited to have more women at the top.

C

Canada Goose
Aside from luxury conversations, this year has also been huge for the merging of fashion and sport. The LVMH-sponsored Paris Olympics played a major part in this, but we’ve also seen fashion cosying up to football and more recently, Formula 1 (LVMH also signed a 10 year partnership with F1 this year). Gorpcore - meaning fashionable outdoor gear - has become everyday wear, whilst athleisure brands like On and Alo continue pushing into the fashion space.

This also means it’s become less unusual to see a traditional fashion talent collaborate with a performance brand, which is what happened in May when Haider Ackermann was announced as Canada Goose’s new Creative Director. I imagine that the goal is to mimic the success of Moncler, an outerwear brand that has positioned itself at the centre of cultural conversation thanks to forward-thinking partnerships and activations involving a roster of high fashion collaborators.

Celine
Whilst many predicted that Hedi Slimane would leave his position at Celine to become Chanel’s new creative lead, only part of the prophecy came true. In October, it was announced that Slimane would be leaving Celine after 7 years at the house. There, he succeeded Phoebe Philo (who put the accent back on the é), progressing his grungy Saint Laurent aesthetic (where he was CD prior) into a neater, Parisian bourgeoisie mood, whilst maintaining the same angular, rock’n’roll inspiration. Slimane also removed the accent on the e.

He will be succeeded by Michael Rider, who joins from Polo Ralph Lauren, where he was praised for his ability to move the needle at quite a traditionalist brand. Rider actually spent 10 years at Celine under Phoebe Philo, and prior to that, 4 years working with Nicolas Ghesquière (now CD at Louis Vuitton womenswear) as his design director at Balenciaga.

The question on everyone’s lips: will he bring back the accent on the é?

Chanel
In June, Chanel announced that Virginie Viard would be stepping down after 35 years at the house. The first 30 were spent alongside Karl Lagerfeld, and the final 5 as CD herself, after Lagerfeld’s death. But alongside Lagerfeld’s legacy, Viard also inherited the mantle of expectation. Critics missed the camp flair and cheeky wit of Lagerfeld’s vision, particularly the OTT runway shows (which included the iconic supermarket show.)

Whilst I don’t think that we should attempt to repeat the past, Blazy seems like a good middle ground between the two. At Bottega Veneta, he proved that he’s a respectful steward for a heritage house, that he reveres and upholds craftsmanship (which is key for Chanel, who are single handedly responsible for keeping many of France’s specialist ateliers in business), but also that he can create buzz, newness and hype.

Chloé
Like Sean McGirr at Alexander McQueen, Chemena Kamali is a 2023 appointee who gets an honourable mention, as her first show for Chloé was in March. Her vision goes back to the brand’s floaty, bohemian roots, and people are loving it so far. Like Michael Rider at Celine, she spent many years at the house before her appointment, so she knows the brand inside out. This gave her first outings a confidence that many brands are lacking at the moment, as the industry becomes more and more uncertain. I think this self-assurance is a big part of her appeal.

D

Dries Van Noten
If there’s one fashion documentary you watch this holiday season, let it be Dries, the 2017 film about the legendary Belgian designer, who in March announced he would be stepping down from his namesake brand. Initially, he stated that his studio team would continue to design the collections. But then on 10 December, one of them won the top spot: Julian Klausner. As with everything Dries, the whole thing felt elegant and considered; impactful, but without unnecessary frills or fanfare.

F

Fendi
After four years at the Italian house, in October it was announced that designer Kim Jones is leaving. Still, it’s not like he’ll suddenly be twiddling his thumbs - he remains the head of menswear at Dior. Unless another designer shake up is on the way…

G

GAP
I hadn’t heard of Richard Dickson until last year’s Barbie phenomenon, back when he was the CEO at Mattel. GAP were obviously impressed, because they snapped him up to revitalise the brand, which had drifted astray after Yeezy-GAP-gate. One of Dickson’s first big moves was to announce Zac Posen as creative director of the brand, a designer best known for his red carpet dresses. Since his appointment in February, Posen has dressed Da'Vine Joy Randolph in custom denim for the Met Gala and released a nostalgic holiday campaign that everyone loves.

Givenchy
Remember Sarah Burton? Well, she didn’t get to relax for long. On 9 September, the ex-McQueen designer was announced as Givenchy’s new CD, after starry streetwear designer Matthew Williams departed in December 2023. Williams arrived at the brand with plenty of promise - his own brand, Alyx, had clout, and he’s known for his impressive circle of influential friends. But something about his vision didn’t quite stick.

People are excited for Burton’s appointment - the general sentiment is that it’s very well-deserved, and that she has the right blend of fashion-and-commercial nouse to guide the house into its next phase (we might associate McQueen with dramatic tailoring and avant-garde gothic drama, but don’t forget that skull scarves, platform sneakers and knuckle-duster clutch bags made up the brand’s bottom line).

H

Helmut Lang
Back when I was modelling, I used to do showrooms for Helmut Lang. Michael and Nicole Colovos were the creative leads back then, but soon after they were replaced by Isabella Burley, the house’s first ‘editor in residence’. She joined from Dazed magazine, where she was EIC. (She’s now CMO at Acne Studios and runs a super cool publishing imprint, Climax Books.) Burley appointed Shayne Oliver as a guest designer, whose debut show for the house was one of my favourite fashion shows ever.

But even with a stable of cutting-edge contributors, the brand wasn’t able to sustain its hype. Instead, it relied on its incredible archive to maintain relevance, which luckily worked out well thanks to revived interest in 90s fashion.

Still, you can’t mine an archive forever, and so in March 2023, the brand appointed star New York designer Peter Do as its new creative lead. Peter Do is a brilliant designer, a nice guy, and everyone loves his clothes, but unfortunately his first collection for Helmut Lang was poorly received. As has become the norm, if it doesn’t work immediately, fashion often throws the baby (the creative director) out with the bathwater. A month ago, news broke that Do would be stepping down.

L

Lanvin
To be honest, I haven’t been keeping tabs on Lanvin since the Alber Elbaz era (2001 - 2014). The designer was beloved by the fashion industry, and despite his opulent, red carpet-ready designs, was also a frontrunner in the high street collaboration space, creating a collection with H&M and a line of shoes with Converse. Perhaps, like me, a lot of people still think of him synonymously with the house.

Very sadly, Elbaz died of Covid-19 in 2021, shortly after launching his own size inclusive line, AZ. A sensitive, emotional designer, the impact of his death may well have had a ripple effect on the brand sentiment around Lanvin, who cycled through a few designers after Elbaz’ departure. That said, deputy Managing Director Siddhartha Shukla has spent the past couple of years carefully repositioning the brand, culminating in the appointment of artistic Peter Copping in June. Copping was previously CD at Nina Ricci and Oscar de La Renta.

M

Maison Margiela
Like Helmut Lang, the Margiela archive and name have been catapulted back into the spotlight in recent years, thanks to the enthusiasm around 90s designers and archival fashion. But unlike Helmut Lang, Margiela has managed to navigate itself into a new era of creative and commercial growth, under the stewardship of John Galliano, who recently announced his departure after a decade at the brand.

The news marks the culmination of a Galliano renaissance. In an emotive goodbye letter, the designer described his appointment as ‘a second chance’, referring to his well-publicised fall from grace. Whilst both Galliano’s next move, and his successor at Margiela remain a mystery, this year seems to have been building towards a kind of crescendo for him, beginning with the stupendously well-received ‘Artisanal’ show in January, followed by the success of Kevin Mcdonald’s ‘High & Low’ documentary.

At the Met Gala, Zendaya wore two Galliano gowns (one from Margiela, one archival look from his brief tenure at Givenchy). Bad Bunny, Kim Kardashian, Gwendoline Christie, Ariana Grande and Adrien Brody also wore looks from the house.

Rumours suggest that Galliano might be returning to the LVMH fold to head up his dormant namesake brand, whilst others think he might be going back to Dior. No successors at Margiela have been announced, although Lauren Sherman has suggested that it might be Diesel’s Glenn Martens (more on him shortly). Both Margiela and Diesel are owned by the conglomerate OTB.

Missoni
The same week as the Celine news broke, Italian knitwear giant Missoni also announced some changes of their own. Designer Filippo Grazioli would be leaving, just 2 years after his appointment. He’ll be succeeded by Alberto Caliri, who was previously interim creative director after Angela Missoni departed the role to become the brand’s president.

Moschino
Moschino is known for being a playful and poppy house. Very sadly, the events of last year were anything but. After creative director of 10 years, Jeremy Scott, announced his departure, Davide Renne was chosen as his replacement. In November, just 9 days after assuming the position, Renne died of a shock illness. In January, the company appointed Adrian Appiolaza to fill the role, who presented his first collection at Milan Fashion Week in February.

Like many of the year’s new appointments, Appiolaza has impressive pedigree - he worked under Phoebe Philo at Chloé, then for Miuccia Prada at Miu Miu, and then as Marc Jacobs’ senior designer at Louis Vuitton. After that he briefly returned to Chloé before spending 10 years as ready-to-wear design director at Loewe. He’s also a massive fashion collector, and posts a lot of his archive on his Instagram.

O

Off-White
Since Virgil Abloh’s untimely death in 2021, his brand Off-White has been stewarded by stylist Ib Kamara, who was appointed in early 2022 (Kamara is also the editor-in-chief at Dazed). After Abloh’s death, LVMH increased its stake in the brand to 60%, but surprised the industry by selling it to licensing agency Bluestar alliance in September this year.

“A push into luxury fashion failed to connect with Off-White’s core customers,” reported Business of Fashion. Instead of becoming a major luxury house, unfortunately it looks like Off-White’s brand equity will now be diminished by an aggressive licensing strategy - essentially putting the logo on whatever products will sell.

T

Tom Ford
Tom Ford is another 90s favourite who’s been cropping up a lot in fashion discourse. Partly due to the y2k appeal of his Gucci collections, but also because of his decision to step back from his fashion label in 2023, promoting Peter Hawkings to CD. Hawkings had worked alongside Ford for the past 25 years, and yet, his appointment was incredibly short lived. In July, after less than a year, he was out. In September, Haider Ackermann was announced as the new CD. No news yet on whether this will impact his position at Canada Goose.

U

Uniqlo
After leaving Givenchy (she was CD prior to Matthew Williams), designer Claire Waight Keller - aka. the designer of Meghan Markle’s wedding dress - launched a sub-brand with Uniqlo, called Uniqlo: C. The collaboration was a success, and in September, she was announced as CD for the entire brand. Waight Keller was also CD at Chloé from 2011-2017.

V

Valentino
In one of the most talked-about changeovers of recent years, the Valentino baton has been passed from one beloved designer to the next. In March, the brand announced that Pierpaolo Piccioli would be leaving after an incredible 25 years at the house. Originally, he worked in partnership with Maria Grazia Chiuri, until 2015, when she was appointed at Dior. Succeeding him is Alessandro Michele, the designer who became famous for leading Gucci into a period of explosive growth thanks to his maximalist, bohemian-luxe aesthetic.

Michele’s return to a big house (he left Gucci in 2022) has been celebrated as a return to the dreamy side of fashion, after a few years of dry, minimalist trends (think: quiet luxury). His first move was to release a rather unwieldy surprise lookbook containing 171 looks and 93 accessories shots, before staging his first runway show in September - a resounding success. You can hear more about it on this episode of the Threads of Conversation podcast. Welcome back, Alessandro!

Y

Y/Project
Finally, we’ve reached the end of the alphabet! Just one more to go - another Glenn Martens story. Whilst Martens has quickly made himself a part of Diesel history, thanks to his hugely successful takeover at the brand, it was at Y/Project that he really honed the sexy, wiggly weirdness that makes his work so unique.

In September, we learned that he’d be leaving the brand after 11 years. It’s understandable, he’s a busy guy. Alongside Diesel, he’s also got an H&M collaboration coming out next year. And maybe a Margiela contract, too…

Key takeaways:

• Luxury houses are choosing experienced brand stewards over hyped new talent. It’s a challenging economy out there, and nobody can afford to take a risk. What’s more, the big houses are bigger than they’ve ever been. They need someone at the top who really understands the business side, and can tailor their creativity around that.

• Phoebe Philo and Jonathan Anderson are kingmakers. Followed closely by Nicolas Ghesquière. It seems that time spent under these names puts designers in the running for a big creative director role.

• Collaborating with a fast fashion brand is no longer taboo. Remember when Hollywood stars were snobbish about appearing in TV shows? These days, every actor wants to be part of a hit show, probably even more than a big movie. This is how I think about the convergence between high street and high fashion: collaborating with H&M, Zara and Uniqlo is the new normal.
  
  For designers, it allows them to access an aspirational customer who can no longer afford true luxury, thanks to huge price hikes in recent years. For fast fashion brands, these collaborations are a way to push upmarket, away from super fast fashion players like Shein.

Thanks for sticking with me! As you can see, this year has played out much like the match point in ‘Challengers’. I personally feel as dizzy as the shot where Guadagnino put the camera inside the ball.

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