(Clockwise) Bouchra Jarrar, Anthony Vaccarello, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Raf SimonsComposite: Louis Ashworth

The fashion industry is one of unparalleled pace; both trends and labels come and go, sometimes before they can truly establish themselves. Designers, however, often create a legacy for themselves while working at certain fashion houses, accumulating adoring fanbases and loyal customers. Yet in the past year, the status quo of fashion’s leading labels has been shaken. Lanvin, Yves Saint Laurent, Dior and Calvin Klein have all seen iconic designers depart their hallowed halls and, in turn, have gained new creative directors. But what does this mean for the brands?

After 14 years as the head of Lanvin, Alber Elbaz was replaced by Bouchra Jarrar, a French couture designer, who has previously worked under Nicolas Ghesquière at Balenciaga. Under Elaz, the brand was characterised by a sleek and feminine image and epitomised on its focus on eveningwear and dark, sultry sets at his evening shows in Paris. However, Elbaz left the label on a sour note amid an array of legal mishaps, and so a change of hands is perhaps just what Lanvin needed. Jarrar certainly reflected this sentiment in her first collection in the job. She decided to host the show in the daytime, instantly creating a lighter mood and atmosphere in addition to a more clean and refined colour palette of whites and cobalt blues to echo this change and rebirth of the brand. While still retaining its feminine identity, it was far more relaxed in terms of shape and tailoring, with loose trousers and sheer, flowing dresses. Iconic models such as Karlie Kloss, Jourdan Dunn, Sasha Pivovarova and Arizona Muse ensured a successful show; however, there is definitely room for Jarrar to develop and establish the new identity of Lanvin.

When Hedi Slimane left Saint Laurent after revamping the French label and giving it worldwide recognition as one of the most covetable brands in fashion, we wondered who could possibly fill his shoes. Anthony Vaccarello, however, seemed like the perfect fit; both his eponymous label and his work for Versus (Versace’s diffusion line) have garnered critical acclaim. Vaccarello appeared to go back to Saint Laurent’s roots and dip into its archives, retaining the glamour and sex appeal that Tom Ford brought, but still put an emphasis on the tailoring which Yves Saint Laurent was originally famed for. Freja Beha Erichsen and Anja Rubik, industry icons and two of the most-requested models of all time, walked in Vaccarello’s show, adding to the commotion surrounding the collection which was comprised of tight black leather mini-dresses, black leather tops, gold lamé, exaggerated shoulders and relaxed yet refined tailoring. Vaccarello quite clearly is paying tribute to Saint Laurent’s past, but there is distinct evidence of him taking the brand in a new and exciting direction of his own.

Belgian-born designer Raf Simons gave Dior a refreshed image after John Galliano’s departure, taking a more subtle and understated approach in his collections. As one of my favourite designers, his resignation came as quite the surprise and I wasn’t sure who could possibly live up to him. Maria Grazia Chiuri, however, who previously worked alongside Pierpaolo Piccioli at Valentino, shocked the fashion world when she was announced to be replacing Simons as the first female creative director at Dior. For her first season, she took influence from fencing and feminism; white fencing gear and shoes were predominant, yet Chiuri brought her iconic ethereal aesthetic from Valentino, adding long tulle skirts and gowns. While the feminist slogan T-shirts didn’t always work, it certainly signalled the beginning of a new era for Dior, with Chiuri making her mark by taking a more laid-back approach than we had previously seen with Galliano and Simons. Despite a beautiful collection, it nonetheless contained notions of past collections at Valentino and so it may take some time for Chiuri to build a new image for Dior.

Despite the shock, however, of Raf Simons leaving Dior, it was almost a relief when it was announced he would be moving to Calvin Klein to replace Francisco Costa, with his first collection debuting next season. In my opinion, some of Simons’s best work came from his time at Jil Sander, a notably minimalist label, something which Calvin Klein is also recognised for. Simons’s ability to create simple yet beautifully crafted wardrobe staples is something he will undoubtedly implement at Calvin Klein, continuing the success of Costa’s collections.