Fashion’s Musical Chairs: Keeping Up With All the Designer Changes

After only one year and one collection, Dario Vitale stepped down from his role as chief creative officer of Versace. The news came on the heels of the sale of Versace to Prada Group for $1.25 billion, leaving many to speculate that Vitale’s departure was prompted by the deal. Before taking the role at Versace, Vitale spent 14 years at Miu Miu (also owned by Prada Group).

In September, Vitale showed his first and only collection for Versace, offering a new direction for the brand long associated with red-carpet gowns and slinky sexuality. His designs quickly hit a nerve with the celebrity set and were seen on Julia Roberts, Amanda Seyfried, Addison Rae, and Olivia Dean. It is notable, however, that Donatella Versace—who transitioned to the role of Versace’s chief brand ambassador last March—was not present at Vitale’s presentation, suggesting cracks in the house prior to the sale.

As of now, there’s no news on who will be next to take on the top spot at Versace, though some are speculating that Donatella will return to the throne. We will also have to wait and find out Vitale’s next move, though it likely won’t be to any brand under the Prada Group.

While some departures occur after months of gossip and speculation, others take the public completely by surprise—which was the case when Olivier Rousteing announced he would be leaving Balmain. Rousteing became the creative director of the French brand when he was just 25, and over the course of 14 years, he transformed the house into a celeb-beloved, culturally relevant label with his heavy use of embellishments, and his establishment of the Balmain Army.

Antonin Tron will grab the reins next, and he’ll likely take the brand in a very different direction. The 41-year-old French designer is most known for his label Atlein, characterized by elegantly draped dresses, usually rendered in jersey. He is inspired by his love of surfing and nature (his brand’s name, Atlein, is a tribute to the Atlantic Ocean), while Rousteing often looked to military garb to create more structured pieces. We won’t have to wait too long to see what this new chapter of Balmain will bring. Tron is set to make his debut with the brand during Paris Fashion Week in March.

After 37 years, Véronique Nichanian stepped down as the creative director of Hermès menswear. She was the longest-serving creative director in fashion, and her departure was a sad one, to be sure, with a silver lining delivered only by the news of her replacement. After Nichanian presents her final collection during men’s week in January 2026, British designer Grace Wales Bonner will take over the position.

Bonner is known for her eponymous label, which she founded in 2014 after graduating from Central Saint Martins College of Art. She quickly amassed a fan base and recognition, winning the Emerging Menswear Designer at the British Fashion Awards in 2015, the LVMH Prize in 2016, and the CFDA International Men's Designer of the Year in 2021. In 2022, she was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire.

The designer has worked hard for these achievements, but it seems like some manifestation came into play as well. In 2019, Bonner told System magazine, “A dream of mine would be to work with a brand like Hermès or even a Savile Row tailoring house, as that is at the core of what I am doing.” In 2027, eight years after making that statement, she will present her debut collection for Hermès.

Kim Jones stepped down from his role as the creative director of Fendi back in October 2024, and since then, Silvia Venturini Fendi, granddaughter of founders Adele and Edoardo Fendi, had been overseeing womenswear. In October 2025, the brand finalized a more permanent solution and announced Maria Grazia Chiuri as its new chief creative officer.

This actually marks a return to Fendi for Chiuri. The designer started at the house in 1989 when she was just 25 years old. Back then, she was an accessories designer; she worked on the development of the extremely popular Baguette purse style. Chiuri spent a decade at Fendi before heading to Valentino in 1999 alongside Pierpaolo Piccioli, and eventually moving to Dior in 2016.

Since leaving Dior, Chiuri has relocated to her hometown in Rome, where she will now remain (that’s where Fendi’s headquarters are located). She will present her first collection for Fendi at Milan Fashion Week in February as part of the fall 2026 collections, another exciting debut on the horizon.

In January 2025, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez left the brand they co-founded, Proenza Schouler, to take over Jonathan Anderson’s recently vacated position at Loewe. This raised the question: who can fill the shoes of these two designers at a deeply personal brand renowned for its impressive understanding of the New York woman? The answer was fellow NYC darling, Rachel Scott.

Scott founded her own brand, Diotima, in 2021, to much success. Merging her Jamaican roots with East Coast style, Scott was able to transform the craft of crochet into a covetable wardrobe. In 2023, she made the finals of the LVMH Prize and was named Emerging Designer of the Year by the Council of Fashion Designers of America. A year later, the CFDA awarded Scott with America’s Womenswear Designer of the Year.

Before the official appointment, Scott was hired by Proenza as a consultant to help ease the creative director transition and design the spring 2026 collection. So while she hasn’t officially debuted for the brand just yet, the teaser we got in September was enough to get everyone excited for Scott’s Proenza. And the best part? She’s not giving up on Diotima, and will continue to design for both brands—proof that we truly can have it all.

After almost a decade as creative director, Francesco Risso left Marni in June 2025.

“Marni has been a studio, a stage, a dream,” he said in a statement. “It carried color, instinct, care, and gave space for people to be themselves. It taught me how to build with feeling and how powerful true collaboration can be.”

He was replaced by Meryll Rogge, known for her namesake brand, which took home the ANDAM Prize for emerging designers this year.

The choice of Rogge is notable, because it returns Marni to the hands of a female designer. The brand was founded in 1994 by Consuelo Castiglioni and quickly garnered a fanbase intrigued by the designer’s woman-centered narrative. When Risso succeeded her in 2016, he was relatively unknown, and Castiglioni’s followers were skeptical. But Risso was able to win them over with his talent and whimsy. The appointment of Rogge is a welcome one, nevertheless. It provides an important opportunity for a hardworking, up-and-coming designer and welcomes another woman to the currently male-dominated field. Rogge has yet to produce a collection for the brand, but the anticipation is absolutely building.

The fashion industry waited with bated breath to see where Jonathan Anderson would land after departing from Loewe. The rollout was a slow one. First, it was announced that the Irish designer would lead Dior Homme. Then, a month later, Maria Grazia Chiuri stepped down from Dior womenswear after almost a decade, and Anderson was able to take over the entire House.

Anderson began his tenure with a men’s show, presenting for the brand in June for the first time. In October, he debuted his womenswear vision for Dior, a quirky collection characterized by dramatic proportions and unexpected fabrications that turned house codes on their head, while remaining squarely in Anderson’s wheelhouse. Anderson’s Dior has proven to be quite a departure from Chiuri’s tenure, but clearly, the new designs are popular. They’ve already popped up on several red carpets, on stars including Jennifer Lawrence, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Greta Lee.

In March, it was announced that Demna was leaving Balenciaga after 10 years and heading to Gucci, replacing Sabato De Sarno, who took over following Alessandro Michele’s departure in 2022. Michele, meanwhile, is currently at Valentino, which used to be helmed by Pierpaolo Piccioli. Now, Piccioli is closing this job-swap circle, with the news that the designer will be heading to Balenciaga as the brand’s newest creative director.

Are you following? Good, because the changes are happening fast. Demna showed his last couture collection with Balenciaga in July; Piccioli took over on July 10, and made his debut with the brand in October.

“Being here today, to mold a new story of a house where creativity has always been a culture and innovation a science, makes me feel honored and proud to continue the story that those who came before me already told with respect and assertive points of view,” Piccioli said in a letter following the announcement. “Cristóbal Balenciaga’s legacy and archive is probably one of the most influential fashion statements of all time. He has done everything before everyone; he has literally invented the culture of creativity; he has infused the idea of couture in every aspect of his career, and he has shown, through his creations, the power of evolution and innovation. What I am receiving today is a brand full of possibilities that is incredibly fascinating.”

After months of speculation, Jonathan Anderson’s departure from Loewe was confirmed in March, following a subdued fall/winter 2025 presentation at Paris Fashion Week. Despite the longstanding rumors, the announcement still caused quite a stir in the fashion industry. Anderson led the Spanish luxury brand for 11 years, turning it from a sleepy accessories house into an era-defining label. The emphasis on craft and whimsy as well as the introduction of the Puzzle, Flamenco, and Squeeze bags put Loewe on everyone’s radars.

That being said, the appointment of Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez to take Anderson’s place is an exciting one. If anyone can do it, it may just be the design duo who connected at Parsons over two decades ago. Unfortunately, McCollough and Hernandez left their brand Proenza Schouler in order to focus on their new gig. A replacement has yet to be named.

For the first time in its history, Versace will not be designed by a Versace. In March, Donatella Versace announced she was stepping down from the role of creative director at her family’s label. The 69-year-old will remain involved as chief brand ambassador, mostly overseeing Versace’s philanthropic endeavors. Dario Vitale, however, will lead the creative side as chief creative officer. Vitale has experience working at Bottega Veneta, Dsquared2, and Miu Miu, where he most recently acted as the design and image director.

“I am truly honored to join Versace as the chief creative officer and to be a part of this special and powerful fashion luxury house created by Gianni and Donatella,” Vitale said in a statement. “The House of Versace has a unique heritage that has spanned decades and has shaped the history of fashion.”

After only two years at Gucci, Sabato de Sarno stepped down as creative director, leaving an unexpected opening at one of fashion’s biggest brands. Enter: Demna, the sometimes controversial mononymous creative director who made a name for himself at Vetements and later Balenciaga.

“Demna’s contribution to the industry, to Balenciaga, and to the group’s success has been tremendous,” said Kering CEO François-Henri Pinault. “His creative power is exactly what Gucci needs.”

Considering Kering owns both Gucci and Balenciaga, Demna’s transfer makes a bit of sense. It seems like Pinault is trying to eject some of Demna’s virality into Gucci. We know Demna can take it on—in 2021 he staged a joint show with Gucci’s then-creative director Alessandro Michele, where he “hacked” Gucci. Now, he will get the chance to design for the brand on his own.

Casey Cadwallader brought Mugler into the modern era with his creation of the body-conscious, paneled catsuit. The design was iterated upon for many seasons and became a favorite of pop stars the world over, from Dua Lipa to Beyoncé. Now, though, the Cadwallader era of Mugler is officially over, and the relatively unknown designer, Miguel Castro Freitas, is taking control.

The news of Cadwallader’s departure was announced in March, in time with Freitas’s appointment. Most recently, Freitas was the creative director of Sportmax, but before that, he worked at Dior under both John Galliano and Raf Simons, Yves Saint Laurent under Stefano Pilati, and Lanvin under Alber Elbaz. He also spent some time as the head of womenswear at Dries Van Noten.

“It is an honor to join the spectacular house of Mugler,” Freitas said in a statement. “As one of the twentieth century’s great couturiers, Mr Mugler reimagined the power and limits of fashion. Alongside the teams, I am thrilled to bring my own vision, story, and emotion to this monumental heritage.” He will show his first collection for the brand this fall during Paris Fashion Week.

After seven years at Jil Sander, Luke and Lucie Meier parted ways with the brand in February. During their time as co-creative directors, the married couple perfected a form of distorted minimalism, bringing attention back to the brand and placing it among the tentpoles of “quiet luxury.” While we don’t know where the Meiers will go next, we know Simone Bellotti will take over their place. He left his spot as the design director of Bally to take on the new role.

“I am incredibly honored to join Jil Sander, a storied house that created a new aesthetic with its unique approach and strong identity, and that has always had such a significant influence on the design community,” Bellotti said in a statement.

Bellotti’s replacement at Bally has yet to be announced.

Beckett Fogg and Piotrek Panszczyk co-founded Area in 2014 after meeting at the Parsons School of Design. Fogg acted as CEO of the brand while Panszczyk was the creative director. That is, until February when it was announced that Panszczyk was leaving the Area. “We are incredibly proud of all we have accomplished together over the past 10 years, and for Piotrek’s vision and dedication that have shaped the brand over these years,” the cofounders said in a statement.

Just days later, Nicholas Aburn was announced as Panszczyk’s successor. “New York has always inspired me with its mix of raw energy and glamour,” the American designer said in a press release. “Area truly embodies this spirit, and I am excited to bring the brand back to its roots.” Most recently, Aburn was Senior Designer at Balenciaga Couture. He will show his first collection for Area as part of the spring/summer 2026 season.

Months after putting on arguably the best runway show of 2024 in the form of Maison Margiela’s Artisanal collection, John Galliano announced his departure from the brand. Galliano was at Margiela for ten years, becoming the creative director just three years after his infamous drunken outburst that turned him into the pariah of the industry. Renzo Rosso, president of Margiela’s parent company OTB Group, took a chance on Galliano, and over the past decade, the designer has injected new life into the French House. In a note that accompanied the announcement of his departure, Galliano acknowledged the public’s curiosity surrounding his next move, but didn’t give away anything just yet. “Everyone wants to know, and everyone wants to dream,” he wrote. “When the time is right, all will be revealed.”

As for the future of Margiela, that has landed in the hands of Glenn Martens. The designer left Y/Project in September of last year, which caused the rumor mill to begin spinning around the idea of his appointment as Maison Margiela. Despite the new gig, Martens will also remain at Diesel—which is owned by OTB along with Margiela.

The biggest shake-up of the year was undoubtedly at Chanel, where Virginie Viard stepped down from her role as creative director in June after a three-decade career at the brand. The move left an opening in what is arguably the biggest position in fashion, and rumors over who would take instantly became the fashion world’s favorite form of small talk. In December, though, all of our queries were answered when it was announced that Matthieu Blazy, formerly of Bottega Veneta, would be stepping in as the head of Chanel. In his new role, Blazy will oversee all of fashion, couture, and accessories for the house, including ten collections each year. He will officially join the team in April and make his runway debut in October 2025 as part of the spring/summer 2026 presentations during Paris Fashion Week.

Of course, Blazy new role at Chanel means he had to step down from his position at Bottega Veneta, where he has been since 2021. He will be replaced by Louise Trotter, previously of Carven, the brand she helped to revive after it filed for bankruptcy in 2018 and was bought by Chinese retailer Icicle. Trotter will join the Bottega team at the end of January 2025, and will likely put on her debut show for the brand later in the year. Her new role makes her the only female creative director on Kering’s slate at the moment.

Alessandro Michele has already made his mark as the new creative director of Valentino, releasing two collections that prove his vintage-inspired maximalism works extremely well in the context of the Italian brand. It’s easy to forget though, that when we started 2024, Pierpaolo Piccioli was still in the house’s main role. He left Valentino in March after working there for 25 years, but as of now, we still don’t know where he will go next (though rumors have placed him in some of the empty positions further down on this list). As for Michele, he was announced as Piccioli’s replacement just days later. He had left Gucci in November 2022. He made a surprise debut with Valentino with a resort 2025 lookbook and staged his first runway show for the brand in September as part of the spring 2025 season. Already, the red carpets are filling up with Michele’s Valentino designs, and 2025 is looking like it’s going to be a big year for the new brand/creative director combo.

In October 2024, Fendi announced that Kim Jones would be stepping down from his position as creative director of the brand after four years with LVMH, Fendi’s parent company, confirming that the 51-year-old designer will remain in his position as the artistic director of Dior Homme. The news came just ahead of Fendi’s 100th anniversary, a major milestone for which the brand is likely planning some big events. As of now, though, it has not announced a replacement for Jones, and thus Fendi might be celebrating its centennial without a leader.

Hedi Slimane was one of the biggest contenders for the Chanel job, considering Karl Lagerfeld once gave the designer his seal of approval. So, when it was revealed that the French designer would be leaving Celine in October 2024 after six years, many thought it was to free him up for Chanel. Of course, now we know that is not the case and, as of now, Slimane’s next move remains a mystery. As for Celine, the brand replaced Slimane with Michael Rider. He had previously worked at the brand under Phoebe Philo before heading to the States for a term as creative director of Polo Ralph Lauren.

It was an emotional moment when Sarah Burton staged her last show for Alexander McQueen in September 2023, a final goodbye for the woman who started at the brand as an intern in 1996. Luckily, though, we will get to see Burton’s mastery in action yet again very soon in her new post at Givenchy, which was without a creative director after Matthew Williams left a year prior. Burton’s next move was revealed to the world in September, and we will get to see the results of her work at the French House at Paris Fashion Week in March 2025.

One of the brands that has experienced the most shake-ups lately is undoubtedly Tom Ford. The eponymous designer left his namesake label in April 2023, and just days later, Peter Hawkings, the former Senior Vice President of Tom Ford menswear, stepped in. Hawkings lasted just one year, however, and in September, Haider Ackermann was revealed to be the replacement’s replacement. The fashion industry is extremely excited to see Ackermann with a brand again, as he kept a fairly low profile since shuttering his own label in 2020. Like Burton and Givenchy, Ackermann will make his debut for Tom Ford at Paris Fashion Week in March 2025.

One of the more emotional departures of the year came from Dries Van Noten, who retired from designing after his final show for his eponymous label in June 2024. Many were nervous about what would come next for the beloved brand, scared that a big name might come in and dilute Van Noten’s message. In December, however, there was a momentary sigh of relief when Julian Klausner was announced as Dries’ new creative director. Klausner has been at Dries for six years, working as a womenswear designer for the brand. In his new role, he will also take on menswear. In fact, he will make his debut in January with his first menswear collection to be unveiled via lookbook during the men’s shows in January. He will then make his runway debut with a womenswear collection during Paris Fashion Week alongside Burton and Ackermann. Klausner has Van Noten’s seal of approval, which will likely help in winning over Dries’s die-hard fans. “He is not only a talented designer, but also a clear choice to take over after my departure,” Van Noten said in a statement. “His deep understanding of the brand and its values will ensure a seamless transition and a bright future.”

Lanvin was without a creative director for over a year after Bruno Sialelli stepped down from the position in April 2023. The brand’s top spot was finally filled, however, in June 2024, when Peter Copping, most recently of Balenciaga couture, took the job. Copping, who will oversee Lanvin’s men’s and women’s collections, officially joined the team in September and will make his debut in January with a co-ed show, the house’s first runway presentation since its autumn/winter 2023 collection in March 2023.

Calvin Klein, too, will return to the runway in 2025 with the help of its new creative director, Veronica Leoni. It has been five years since Calvin Klein staged a runway show, and six since it had a public-facing lead designer (Raf Simons was in the role until his departure in December 2018). In her new position, Leoni will design the Collection, which includes both men’s and women’s apparel, along with underwear and accessories.

After less than two years as creative director of the New York-based brand, Peter Do left Helmut Lang behind in November 2024. Do joined Lang in May 2023 and presented his debut collection at New York Fashion Week that September as part of the spring 2024 season. Do harkened back to many house codes in his first show, which received mixed reviews from critics. His later attempts proved more successful, with his resort 2025 collection gaining the most praise of his four offerings for the brand. Do still remains the creative director of his own label, and as of now, the future of Helmut Lang is up in the air.

Dries Van Noten wasn’t the only designer who left his eponymous brand in 2024. Philip Lim also stepped away from 3.1 Philip Lim, 20 years after he started it with Wen Zhou, who is staying on as 3.1’s CEO. That means the brand’s spring 2025 presentation during New York Fashion Week in September 2024 was not only its 20th anniversary celebration, but also Lim’s swan song. As of now, we don’t know who will take over in Lim’s place or what the designer plans to do next.

In September 2024, Glenn Martens exited Y/Project after 11 years as creative director, causing the brand to cancel its spring 2025 show set just days later. Martens was involved in Y/Project since it was launched by Gilles Elalouf and Yohan Serfaty in 2010. He began his tenure at the brand as Serfaty’s first assistant, but took over as creative director following Serfaty’s untimely death in 2013. Martens will remain the creative director of Diesel while he takes on his new role at Maison Margiela as well.

Another debut set for 2025 is David Koma at Blumarine after the designer was named creative director of the Italian brand in July 2024. Koma succeeded Walter Chiapponi, who exited Blumarine in November 2023 after less than a year with the brand and only one collection to show for it. Koma will debut his vision for Bluemarine with a pre-fall 2025 collection to be released in the spring.