Lanvin seeks its fifth Creative Director of the decade

Bruno Sialelli, the Creative Director of Lanvin, stepped down from his role on Friday amid a restructuring of the French luxury house. Lanvin is now seeking a successor to fill his shoes, marking the fifth Creative Director shake-up in the past 10 years.

Lanvin is the oldest French Luxury House, founded by Jeanne Lanvin in 1889. Since its inception as a small hat shop in the heart of Paris, the brand’s creative direction has taken twists and turns. Now, the brand is renowned for its couture-inspired streetwear, such as its eclectic sneakers and logo-clad hoodies.

The company is currently looking to shift its creative focus, introducing two new entities. The first of which is titled the Lanvin Lab, which is "an experimental space inviting creative partnerships with proven and rising international talents". The second is a new accessories and leather goods division, including new hires.

Bruno Sialelli, who stepped into the role of Creative Director in 2019 after working as the Head of Menswear and Loewe, is leaving amid the reshuffling.

This news comes after Siddhartha Shukla was appointed Deputy General Manager in 2021, followed by a number of changes he implemented. Most notably, Lanvin became a publicly traded company, listing on the New York Stock Exchange in December of last year. The brand also underwent a visual reinvigoration, with a new logo and refreshed product strategy.

In a statement issued to WWD, Shukla said: "Lanvin is poised for a new chapter. As we reimagine the brand, embracing the values instilled in it by Jeanne Lanvin over 130 years ago, we situate the house at the vanguard of fashion and culture at a time of extraordinary and inspiring change.

"Our model exalts Lanvin’s rich heritage and sophistication in a uniquely modern matrix of creativity."

Despite the house’s frequent shake-ups, it continues to tap into success and build on its extensive history. Since Alber Elbaz’s resignation in 2015, after 13 years at Lanvin, Creative Directors have quickly come and gone. Bruno Sialelli’s predecessors,  Olivier Lapidus (2017-18) and Bouchra Jarar (2016-17) only held their positions for a year before exiting the house.

Lanvin has not yet revealed who will be stepping into Bruno Sialelli’s role.