Bouchra Jarrar is to leave her role as artistic director at Lanvin after just 16 months, BoF has learned.
Jarrar succeeded Alber Elbaz, who left the brand after 14 years in October 2015 following disagreements with its Taiwan-based Chinese owner, Shaw-Lan
Wang.
Jarrar, a talented couturier who shuttered her namesake house to focus on Lanvin, and was last week made an Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters, one
of France’s highest honours, has been unable to single-handedly revive the
brand, which has suffered from falling revenues amidst a lack of investment
since the days of her predecessor.
“I have pressure,” she admitted in a March interview with the South China Morning Post. “I wanted to dedicate my whole self to Lanvin, to relaunch the
maison and brand, so I shut my own label down… But I need the whole house’s
support; alone it’s impossible.”
Meanwhile, her minimal, tailored aesthetic was a departure from Elbaz’s much-loved draped eveningwear, and a new direction was always going to take time
to resonate with consumers in a way that came anything close to what Elbaz
achieved in his 14-year tenure. “That personal connection that Alber fostered
between the brand and the audiences was deep,” said Caroline Issa, chief
executive and fashion director of Tank magazine, in a September interview with
BoF.
Ultimately, initial sell-through has been underwhelming, and in June Lanvin reported a 23 percent fall in revenue for 2016, down to €162 million after a net
loss of €18.3 million. By comparison, in 2015 it reported a profit of €6.3
million, and in 2012, at the label’s peak, revenues were reported at €235
million.
The news of Jarrar’s departure follows a catalogue of issues at Lanvin. The company is said to have appointed advisory firm Long Term Partners to conduct an
audit and recommend ways to reduce the company's costs, prompting rumours of
layoffs.
Founded in 1889, Lanvin is one of France's last major independent fashion brands. Wang, who became the brand’s controlling shareholder in 2001, has been
reluctant to invest in the brand for many years. According to reports, she would
not let her associate Swiss investor Ralph Bartel, who owns 25 percent of
Lanvin, inject more cash into the business to support the brand as it would
dilute her stake.
"He disagrees with the options chosen by the management and wants an urgent change in strategy," a source told Reuters of Bartel.
A representative for Lanvin did not respond to a request for comment at the time of publication.
queeniebridesmaid |
cadbury purple bridesmaid dresses
