Nicolas Ghesquière is reportedly leaving Louis Vuitton, where he has been artistic director of women’s collections for nearly three years.
“People in the studio are expecting him (Ghesquière) to leave, possibly as early as after the October collection,” a source told Reuters.
As for his replacement, Irish designer Jonathan Anderson is being tipped for the role. Anderson currently sits at the helm of his own eponymous label J.W.Anderson and Spanish luxury house Loewe, which is also owned by LVMH.
“Arnault is very fond of Anderson, everybody knows he adores him,” a second source said. “As of now, he is the best positioned to replace Ghesquiere.” It’s true that Arnault is a fan of the designer – in fact, in 2013 he proved it by buying a stake in his label.
As Louis Vuitton is world’s biggest luxury brand, one that generates nearly $8.8 billion in annual revenue, the job of artistic director of women’s collections is one of fashion’s biggest gigs. Prior to Ghesquière, Marc Jacobs held the position – and did so for 16 years.
While he’s been at the helm, Ghesquière, who was previously at Balenciaga, has recieved acclaim for his forward-thinking and sculptural designs.
No date has been set for his reported departure, though apparently it could wait until next year. “It is a sensitive issue which could take time to solve,” a third source told Reuters.
But Louis Vuitton isn’t the only brand (potentially) undergoing change – two weeks ago Christian Dior revealed the appointment of Maria Grazia Chiuri as the house’s new creative director, and earlier this year Calvin Klein announced the departures of its men’s and women’s creative directors, Italo Zucchelli and Francisco Costa, with Raf Simons rumoured to replace them.
We have reached out to Louis Vuitton for comment.
Update: Louis Vuitton responded to us saying, “LVMH & Louis Vuitton strongly deny what has been said in Reuters. Nicolas Ghesquière's contract renewal will not happen until end of 2018, so no discussion whatsoever is engaged at this stage.”
