And the game of Creative Director Musical Chairs continues….
As Hypebae reports, Julien Dossena announced his departure from Rabanne in June. In a statement, the designer said: “I would like to thank the Puig family and Group for their trust and for supporting my vision over thirteen years. I’m equally grateful to my teams, ateliers, and collaborators, whose craft and commitment made the work possible. This defining creative chapter at the helm of Rabanne will always have a significant resonance to me, both professionally and personally.”
Now, less than a month later, the brand has announced Olivier Rousteing, formerly of Balmain, as Dossena’s replacement.
In December 2024, we saw the departure of Matthieu Blazy from Bottega Veneta, who then moved over to Chanel, leaving Louise Trotter as his replacement. We also saw Dries Van Noten step down from his namesake label, naming Julian Klausner as the brand’s new creative director, plus the appointment of David Koma at Blumarine.
Since 2025, we’ve witnessed Maria Grazia Chiuri leave Dior for FENDI, Kim Jones step down as Artistic Director of Dior Homme, Casey Cadwallader walk away from Mugler, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez replace Jonathan Anderson at LOEWE, who had left to become creative director of Dior, Demna leave Balenciaga for Gucci and Donatella step down as chief creative officer.
Are you keeping up?
In the last two months, Moschino appointed Sunnei founders Loris Messina and Simone Rizzo as creative directors in June, following Adrian Appiolaza’s exit, and Pieter Mulier left Alaia and became Chief Creative Officer of Versace on July 1 under new ownership by Prada Group.
This trend is part of a broader phenomenon in the fashion industry often referred to as a “creative earthquake,” where many luxury houses are undergoing rapid changes in leadership. The absence of creative directors can lead to uncertainty in brand identity and direction, prompting speculation about future appointments and the impact on brand strategy.
Alongside new appointments, this means there’s still a slew of eligible creative directors without positions, rumored to take over at other luxury labels.
Stay tuned as the chairs continue to move….
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Photo Credit: Phil Stafford / Shutterstock.com
