In the world of fashion, 2014 will be remembered as a year of personnel changes, including a number of surprising twists and turns.
Between bittersweet departures and exciting new beginnings, here are the highlights of this game of musical chairs between designers and labels.
Nicolas Ghesquière at Louis Vuitton
Though the news was announced last year, it was in March 2014 that Nicolas Ghesquière presented his first collection for Louis Vuitton, which entered a new era after the departure of Marc Jacobs.
The Frenchman certainly seems to have lived up to expectations, attracting unanimous praise from fashion journalists for his retro-inspired debut line for the label. And it’s more than just beginner’s luck: the second collection, presented last September, garnered just as much acclaim.
After Ghesquière left for Vuitton, Balenciaga had to find another master couturier to fill his shoes. Alexander Wang was up to the task. Living up to his reputation, the designer has presented successful collections for the Italian house, all while continuing to run his own eponymous label.
Peter Copping at Oscar de la Renta
After several years at Nina Ricci, the British designer was named creative director at Oscar de la Renta just days before the death of the American label’s founder on October 20.
While Copping had initially planned to collaborate closely with the Dominican designer on his first line, which will be presented at New York fashion week in February 2015, he was ultimately left to his own devices.
The fashion world is already looking forward to his collection, which is bound to be a vibrant homage.
Guillaume Henry leaves Carven
The rumor made the rounds at Spring-Summer 2015 fashion week in Paris and was confirmed a few days later. After five years of loyal and dedicated service, the man behind the revival of the Carven house finally decided to pack his bags and move on… to replace Copping at Nina Ricci.
John Galliano at Maison Martin Margiela
In what was likely the year’s most earth-shattering development in fashion, John Galliano announced his big comeback.
The disgraced designer, who once seemed poised to take over at Oscar de la Renta, will present his first collection for Maison Martin Margiela at Paris couture week in January.
Taking on even more responsibility than he previously held at Dior (where he worked for 15 years), Galliano will head up men’s and women’s ready-to-wear as well as haute couture at the label. In other words, make way for the new master of the MMM house.
In turmoil since Emma Hill’s departure in June 2013, Mulberry has struggled to find a new creative director and to return to its former glory.
While the house encountered some success with its handbags designed by Cara Delevingne, the need to bring in a new leader was increasingly felt.
Finally, in November, the label announced that it had found its potential savior: Johnny Coca, who is currently in charge of accessories at Céline.
And judging by his work at the French label, the designer is bound to do wonders for Mulberry, where he is due to arrive on July 8, 2015.
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