Nicolas Di Felice Leaves Courrèges After Five Years as Artistic Director

Nicolas Di Felice has stepped down from his position as creative director of Courrèges after five years. The news was confirmed on Tuesday morning by a press release from the French brand, which stated that Di Felice made the decision to leave in order to “focus on personal projects.”

Earlier this month, Di Felice presented his final collection for Courrèges at Paris Fashion Week. It also happened to be his fifth anniversary show for the brand, and he celebrated the achievement by bringing viewers on a journey through “24 hours in the life of a Courrèges woman.” The collection featured sleek minimalism and Di Felice’s signature sexiness. It received positive reviews, ending Di Felice’s tenure on a high note.

“What an amazing adventure!” Di Felice wrote on Instagram following the announcement of his departure. “I still remember with so much affection my very first day in this beautiful house, where everything had to be rebuilt. I would like to thank, from the bottom of my heart, all the people who contributed—with their talent and their work, in one way or another—to the rebirth of Courrèges.” He continued, confirming his decision to leave to work on other projects. “I will always keep an unforgettable memory of this incredible journey and wish the house all the very best for its future.”

Born in Belgium, Di Felice graduated from La Cambre in Brussels before working with Nicolas Ghesquière at both Balenciaga and Louis Vuitton and Raf Simons at Christian Dior. His appointment at Courrèges in 2020 marked Di Felice’s first time in a spotlight role, and, at the time, it felt like the odds were stacked against him. While Courrèges enjoyed great success under its founder, André Courrèges, in the ’60s, previous attempts to revive the brand in the 21st century proved unsuccessful. The pair behind Coperni, Arnaud Vaillant and Sébastien Meyer, took a stab at the job, as did German designer, Yolanda Zobel, who joined the team in 2018. By 2020, she was out, and it was Di Felice’s turn. He took over just as the world was shutting down due to the pandemic, but despite everything, the Belgian designer managed to persevere. He embraced Courrèges’s Space Age roots while simultaneously pushing the label forward. A reissue of the house’s popular vinyl jackets quickly won the approval of Marc Jacobs, while his more modern designs caught the eyes of Hailey Bieber and Dua Lipa. Di Felice often drew inspiration from club culture, with body-hugging designs and wearable jerseys. He reintroduced menswear to the label, and worked on stage outfits for many performers, including Beyoncé.

Di Felice’s successor will be announced next week, according to Courrèges, but we may have to wait a bit longer to see what the designer himself has planned next.