Experienced French couturier Bertrand Guyon has taken the reigns as Design Director of Schiaparelli, a position left empty since Marco Zanini left last November, citing ‘creative differences’ after just two seasons in charge. Before Zanini, the storied couture house had been revived after an almost 60 year hiatus, with a one-off couture collection by Christian Lacroix, after the company was bought by Tod’s Group CEO Diego Della Valle.
“Elsa Schiaparelli is an enchanting couture house,” Bertrand explains. “I have always been fascinated by its exceptional legacy, its luminous and intimate story, its quirky and poetic world, its ultimate chic and its endless creativity,” he continues, adding, “I feel honored to be part of Schiaparelli today and develop it further, respecting its heritage and tradition while adding a contemporary and modern take, something Elsa Schiaparelli always demonstrated.”
Guyon moves from a design role at Valentino, having previously worked at Givenchy and Christian Lacroix, to take over both the couture collection and ready-to-wear, or “prêt-à-couture” as Schiaparelli call it. He will have his first chance to prove that he can translate Schiaparelli’s surreal and humorous design aesthetic for the modern fashion landscape when he presents his inaugural couture collection for the house in July during Paris haute couture week.