Fashion’s furious game of musical chairs has seriously subsided, though there remain a few vacant seats — and a small clutch of idled designers.
During Paris Fashion Week, many eyes will be on Alaïa, which is staging a presentation instead of a runway show following the exit in March of its acclaimed creative director Pieter Mulier, who moved over to Versace in Milan.
The house told WWD it’s planning “a more intimate and immersive experience” during the “current transition period,” but skirted questions about its creative leadership going forward.
According to market sources, Boaz Eli, Alaïa’s studio director, is seen as a potential internal successor to Mulier, who was a number-two designer when he arrived at the Paris house five years ago.
Eli studied at Parsons School of Design in the same class as Celine’s Michael Rider, and also holds a master’s degree in fashion design from the Institut Français de la Mode.
The designer started his fashion career at Roberto Cavalli, going on to work at Acne Studios, Loewe and Burberry before joining Alaïa in January 2024, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Nina Ricci also has yet to communicate its plans after parting ways in March with its creative director Harris Reed, who is dedicating himself to his London-based signature brand.
“The house will now take the time required to define its next chapter, in line with its long-term strategy. Further updates on the new organization will be shared in due course,” it said.
Famous mostly for its fragrances, the Puig-owned Ricci has seen an array of fashion designers come and go over the years, including Botter designers Rushemy Botter and Lisi Herrebrugh, Guillaume Henry, Peter Copping, Nathalie Gervais, Massimo Giussani, James Aguiar, Lars Nilsson and Olivier Theyskens.
Among designers idled by fashion’s revolving door, Dario Vitale is perhaps the most whispered about, following his ouster from Versace after a single, acclaimed season, and Prada Group’s acquisition of the house. The Italian designer spent most of his career at Miu Miu, and has also worked at Bottega Veneta and Dsquared2.
He has been rumored as a possible hire at Giorgio Armani in the wake of the founder’s death one year ago, and mooted for such diverse brands as Kenzo and Calvin Klein, which currently have incumbent creative directors.
Hedi Slimane, who exited Celine in October 2024 after a fruitful seven-year collaboration, has yet to resurface, though he remains active on social media, showcasing his vast work as a photographer.
Sabato De Sarno, who was succeeded by Demna as the creative head of Gucci in 2025, has been sharing his passion for art with his 314,000 followers on Instagram, also detailing book, scholarship and design jury projects.
Julien Dossena, Nicola Di Felice and Adrian Appiolaza, who recently parted ways with Rabanne, Courrèges and Moschino, respectively, have yet to define their next move.
Meanwhile, a good number of marquee designers have landed at fast-fashion firms after helming big European houses, including John Galliano, who has a two-year project with Zara, also debuting during Paris Fashion Week; and Francesco Risso, who became creative director of Fast Retailing’s GU brand after nine years leading Marni.
