PARIS — In the wake of Alber Elbaz’s ouster earlier this week, Chemena Kamali and Lucio Finale are among the top creative talents at Lanvin who will realize the French house’s pre-fall 2016 collection, WWD has learned.
Kamali recently joined Lanvin as design director for women’s ready-to-wear from Chloé, while Finale had been promoted to creative director of women’s bags and shoes after one year as its head designer of women’s bags.
A graduate of Central Saint Martins in London, Kamali was previously design director of the pre-collection and head of “flou” rtw, or softly constructed garments, at Chloé for three-and-a-half years, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Her résumé also includes stints at Strenesse and Alberta Ferretti.
A graduate of the Accademia di Belle Arti di Napoli, Finale has also designed shoes and accessories for Givenchy and Valentino.
Elie Top, who collaborated with Elbaz on Lanvin’s costume jewelry since 2001, will also contribute to the pre-fall women’s effort, a Lanvin spokeswoman confirmed, noting that the studio would ready the collection as usual in time for a January unveiling. Meanwhile, men’s designer Lucas Ossendrijver, tapped by Elbaz in 2005 to rejuvenate Lanvin Homme, is readying the fall 2016 collection for the runway in January.
The spokeswoman also downplayed assertions by the company’s works council that the firm is in upheaval following the exit of Elbaz after a 14-year tenure, assuring there is “no internal crisis.”
As reported, the council has requested that majority owner Shaw-Lan Wang, who pushed out the star designer, return to Paris from her native Taiwan to listen to their concerns, answer questions and reassure employees.
News of Elbaz’s ouster was first reported on WWD.com on Oct. 28, with the designer holding out hope that the company “finds the business vision it needs to engage in the right way forward.” Sources said the rupture came following bitter disagreements between Elbaz, Wang and chief executive officer Michèle Huiban.
Elbaz has yet to indicate his future intentions, and his successor at Lanvin has yet to be named. Names on its short list could include Haider Ackermann, Olivier Rousteing, Simone Rocha, Huishan Zhang and Joseph Altuzarra.
It is understood internal candidates could also be considered for the plum post.