Update: On Monday, French designer Olivier Lapidus was named as Jarrar's successor, Vogue reports. Prior to joining Lanvin, Lapidus held roles at Balmain Homme and Maison Lapidus, among others; most recently, he founded his own namesake brand, Creation Olivier Lapidus, which is described on its website as "an e-couture house."
“When we began discussions, Lanvin was interested by my [Internet] approach," he told Vogue. "New technologies can be very pertinent for the oldest couture house in France. Clearly there is something innovative to tap there in terms of positioning and communications.”
According to Business of Fashion, Lanvin and its owner, Shaw-Lan Wang (whom Lapidus has known for over 30 years), have plans to transform the legacy label into “a French Michael Kors" by potentially expanding it into a lifestyle brand. BOF also reports that he may bring couture back to Lanvin, something that hasn't existed in over 20 years.
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Despite plans to advance the company technologically, Lapidus claims he's taking the house back to its conception."I see the value in Jeanne Lanvin; I want to speak to the person she is and mine her DNA," he told Vogue. "I want to explore techniques and detail and give the brand meaning. We must get back to the fundamentals. There’s a story to tell at Lanvin. In all modesty, I’d like to say that I’m going to do Jeanne by the book.”
Like they say, nothing gold can stay. After just two collections and 15 months, designer Bouchra Jarrar is leaving her post as artistic director of Lanvin, Business of Fashion has reported.
Jarrar's appointment last March was surprising — first, she was the first woman to run the house since Jeanne Lanvin founded it in 1889. Second, her sportswear-driven aesthetic differed greatly from Alber Elbaz’s, who shockingly departed the brand after 14 years in October 2015.
Elbaz’s split from the company hinted at a power struggle, something that may have also affected Jarar's relationship with the label. “I wish the house of Lanvin the future it deserves among the best French luxury brands, and hope that it finds the business vision it needs to engage in the right way forward,” he said in a statement.
In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Jarrar was transparent about her new role saying, “I have pressure. I wanted to dedicate my whole self to Lanvin, to relaunch the maison and brand, so I shut my own label down… But I need the whole house’s support; alone it’s impossible.” The article notes "disputes between Lanvin’s design studio and upper management, cost-cutting measures and a possible studio revolt" as many of its internal problems.
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She continued: “Everything is happening with time, and depending on the shape of the house internally…I want to bring my expertise, creativity, technical know-how and pragmatism, but I have to exchange ideas with others who’ve been in the Lanvin house for some time.”
In an effort to essentially clean-up the creative director-less mess that was fall/winter 2016, Jarrar's vision may have won over critics, but it never quite hit with consumers — as reflected by a consistent all in revenue.
According to WWD, Jarrar is rumored to be leaving because of “friction” with Lanvin’s CEO Michele Huiban (the same person who reportedly clashed with Elbaz) and will depart the company before the spring 2018 shows.
We've reached out to Lanvin for comment, and will update this piece if/when we hear back.