Lanvin announced it has hired Bouchra Jarrar as creative director, succeeding the much-loved Alber Elbaz, who was ousted from the company last October after disagreements with owner Shawn-Lan Wang. He had been at the company for 14 years. According to sources, Elbaz is considering starting his own label and has already received offers from big investors.
Jarrar founded her own label in 2010 after 15 years working at major fashion houses like Balenciaga, where she was studio director under Nicolas Ghesquière, and Christian Lacroix, where she was head of couture design. She earned the official couture appellation in 2013.
Jarrar has long been on the industry’s radar as someone who might eventually lead a big house, and most recently her name was tossed around in talks about the open Balenciaga role after Alexander Wang’s departure. Jarrar had worked at Balenciaga initially under Josephus Thimister, who headed the label before Ghesquière took control of the designs. Like Elbaz before her, Jarrar is known for her technical expertise and old-school approach to fashion. However, she’s most popular for her tuxedo jackets, expertly tailored pants, and peacoats in contrast to Elbaz’s feminine cocktail dresses. Jarrar will debut her vision for Lanvin at the Spring 2017 shows in Paris this fall.
