Jacquemus potrebbe andare da Givenchy?

One of the biggest passions of fashion insiders is trying to guess which designer will work for which brand in the near future. All speculations that ultimately lead to nothing: even if you guess right, without an official announcement, they are all theories and empty speculations. And at this moment, the most prominent of the vacant seats is that of Givenchy, which will officially bid farewell to Matthew Williams in January, entering a phase of interim where the brand's team will take over the design – interim phases, needless to say, are disastrous for profits as it's the designer's name that creates the perceived value of the clothes that drives sales. So, who should fill that position? The names thrown around are the usual wish list: Alessandro Michele and Martine Rose (designers whose fans would like to see work practically everywhere), Haider Ackermann, Sarah Burton, Willy Chevarria, Olivier Theyskens, and even Stefano Pilati. Some have also speculated about a Riccardo Tisci redux – but the return of a creative director, Jil Sander aside and anyway for a very brief period, would be a bit of a rarity in the fashion world. The most persistent rumor, however, seems to be another: Jacquemus. But is it true?

Some inside sources we questioned actually deny the rumor. And let's just say that for a designer endowed with the planetary success of Jacquemus, putting himself in the employ of the LVMH board of directors could be burdensome, if not in terms of creativity, at least in terms of time. Nonetheless, the fact that the French designer posted on his Instagram, eleven days ago, a photo of the interior of Hubert de Givenchy's house seemed to many like an announcement-even though it was probably just one of many mood pictures celebrating the French cultural beauties with which Jacquemus is so strongly enamored. In fact, usually the typical photo of someone entering Givenchy's is in the entrance staircase of the beautiful historic headquarters the brand has in Paris, or its balcony, and not the founder's private home that was the focus of a Christie's sale last summer. If we want to take the rumor as true, for the sake of conversation, LVMH's modus operandi has always been that of the star designer: Hedi Slimane, Virgil Abloh, Nigo, Pharrell, and Matthew Williams himself – all examples of high-profile names capable of elevating the brands they worked for, also operating intense rebranding in one or two seasons. It should also be noted that, with some exceptions, LVMH's design language is returning to a certain vitality and lightness: these are times too dark to dress like a Nazgûl, and even the super-rock Celine has softened its leather-clad models with large pink bows and rider jackets with exposed shoulders.

In this sense, a possible entry of Jacquemus at Givenchy would create much greater curiosity than that generated by the so-called "internal hiring," which is instead a typical move of Kering. However, LMVH's silence on the brand's sales performance (there is no mention in the last quarterly report of the brand's clothing, only the success of a perfume), is not a very good sign and could suggest that the management department feels a certain urgency to boost sales. A more naturally upbeat designer like Jacquemus, less dark and gloomy than Williams but also more capable of interpreting the French spirit that so seduces wealthy international tourists, could be the solution – even if they are probably all just rumors.