If you thought Marc Jacobs had already made Louis Vuitton's Paris Fashion Week show a hot ticket, next Wednesday's runway is sure to be the hottest yet: It may just be Jacobs' last for the brand.
The rumor mill is buzzing about an imminent departure, as Jacobs' contract with Louis Vuitton ends next month. "His contract may not be renewed," a source told Reuters. Though the popular designer has seen the storied fashion house through successful times since joining in 1997, he is reportedly internally approved within the company to leave.
This isn't the first we've heard of Jacobs and Louis Vuitton going separate ways, though. Back in June, Women's Wear Daily sparked chatter after reporting that Jacobs was being sought after to replace Reed Krakoff as creative director at Coach. Plus, Louis Vuitton is already at work revamping its design team, tapping Proenza Schouler's accessories designer, Darren Spaziani (the man behind the brand's wildly popular PS1 handbag), to spruce up its logo-centric offerings.
As for Jacobs' replacement, Nicolas Ghesquière's name has been the front-runner ever since the first round of rumors. The French designer, an industry darling, was unceremoniously ousted from his creative director position at Balenciaga and replaced by Alexander Wang last year. A source confirmed to Fashionista in June that Ghesquière and LVMH, the luxury goods conglomerate which owns Louis Vuitton, were "in serious negotiations" about a top position with Louis Vuitton.
But until we get official confirmation, we're remaining skeptical. Regarding Jacobs' departure, another industry source told Reuters, "Nothing has been decided yet." So as of now, the only thing that's certain is that nothing's certain. Let's hope Jacobs drops some hints at his Fashion Week show next week.
We've reached out to Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton for comment, so stay tuned for updates.
He's come a long way...
