Olivier Lapidus is the new artistic director of Lanvin. The French designer takes the place of Bouchra Jarrar, who stepped down last week after previously helming the fashion house for 16 months following Alber Elbaz’s exit.
Lapidus’ new role is effective immediately, and Business of Fashion reports he already started on Monday. Before his new role under the French fashion house, he was creative director for Balmain Homme in 1985-1986, joined Maison Lapidus until it closed in 2000, and designed décor for the Hotel Felicien in Paris. Recently, he launched Creation Olivier Lapidus, which he calls the world’s first web-based couture house.
“It is a great honour to join Lanvin and I warmly thank Madame Wang for placing her confidence in me,” Lapidus said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, giving a nod to the brand’s Taiwan-based owner Shaw-Lan Wang.
“With nearly 130 years of history, Lanvin is the oldest French couture house. To ensure its longevity is an immense task and an exciting challenge,” he added. Though he intends to preserve the fashion house’s legacy, sources tell BoF that Lapidus plans to revamp the brand as “a French Michael Kors.”
In addition to having a new designer, the label is also reportedly moving its headquarters from Paris’ Rue Boissy d’Anglas—where Jeanne Lanvin originally founded the atelier in 1889—to the city’s Levallois suburb later this year. The major changes arrive after the brand saw sales drop 23 percent in 2016 and 35 percent in the first two months of 2017.
Lanvin and Bouchra Jarrar have not yet commented on the news of Lapidus’ appointment.
Bella Hadid walks in Lanvin’s Fall 2017 show during Bouchra Jarrar’s tenure at the fashion house.
From: ELLE USA
