“It will be a studio collection and Virginie Viard will not be involved,” a Chanel spokeswoman told AFP. The end of the Lagerfeld era has reignited a favourite pastime of fashionistas: guessing who will come next.
Popular names include: France's Marine Serre, Celine's Hedi Slimane, Pierpaolo Piccoli (who recently left Valentino) and Simon Porte Jacquemus, whose eponymous label has been one of the great independent success stories of recent years.
While Valentino awaits the debut of its high-profile new creative director Alessandro Michele (formerly at Gucci), Givenchy is still looking for a head designer following the departure of Matthew Williams last year.
This week will also see the final show of Belgian designer Dries Van Noten on Saturday. Though Noten, 66, is not a household name yet, he is retiring as a favorite among serious fashion fans for his modern style and expert tailoring.