une affaire Française

Exactly two days ago the most important fashion news alerts warned their subscribers of Jean Paul Gaultier's departure from Hermès. I don't think he was dismissed because of lack of success but because Hermès is in desperate need of an injection of youth. Which is why the French brand has chosen Christophe Lemaire to fill his shoes; a younger designer with an art background twice winner of the ANDAM (Association Nationale pour le Développement des Artes de la Mode) award. I find this choice ever so clever. Lemaire is renowned in the industry for revamping Lacoste's style, making it relevant in terms of current fashion. He has been creative director of the famous French sports brand since 2000. In 2007 he created his very own name-sake brand which showed a more profound vision of fashion and which took most of its inspiration from the Japanese style of the 70's to dress men and women.

One could think his two jobs at his own label and at Lacoste incongruous. The truth is that is it precisely this combination of extraordinary sportswear making skills and his mastery of tailoring and different materials and understanding of heritage that makes him a perfect fit for Hermés. Even certain, unarguable, similarities with Gaultier's previous work for the brand prove this right. I cannot wait to see what Lemaire has in store for S/S11.
I'm off.

[Sources: nytimes.com, ChristopheLemaire.com, telegraph.co.uk, Style.com, leFigaro.fr]