Out of Style

Lately, the fashion industry has begun to feel like a game of musical chairs, with creative directors coming and going from houses with dizzying speed. Even so, Lars Nilsson’s tenure at Gianfranco Ferré might just set a record for brevity. The designer—who took the reins this past September, three months after Ferré’s death—exited in February, before his first runway outing. Ferré parent IT Holding remained tight-lipped about details, but according to a source, the designer felt he wasn’t getting enough support. Ferré’s fall 2008 show, scheduled for two weeks after Nilsson’s departure, was set to go on as planned with a collection designed by the in-house design team. At press time, no replacement had been named.

photo: Steve Eichner