Hermès: rise of the quiet designer

You know that thing when a football team’s fans shout „who?“ when the name of their opponents‘ substitution is announced? Those in fashion might well have done the same this week when it was announced that Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski is to be the new artistic director of Hermès, replacing Christophe Lemaire.


Vanhee-Cybulski is far from a household name, so shouts of „who?“ would be justified. However, as so often with those substitutes, it looks as if she’ll have the skills on the field of play to keep up with the game. Currently the design director of The Row (the understated Olsens label), the 36-year-old has previously worked under Phoebe Philo at Céline and started her career at Maison Martin Margiela. That’s three ticks towards an aesthetic that works for the elegant, artisan, but gently conceptual world that is Hermès.


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This appointment also shows a shift in how brands are hiring now. Perhaps brands have been burnt by the fallout of the scandals attached to superstar designers such as John Galliano – these days, quieter designers such as Vanhee-Cybulski appeal over those who have a reputation that proceeds them. It’s the equivalent of buying something because you like it rather than because of the designer label.


There have been a few other examples recently. After Raf Simons left Jil Sander in 2012, the design team created the collections, until Rodolfo Paglialunga – previously on the team at Prada for 10 years – was announced as creative director in April. Louise Trotter, now the creative director and face of Joseph, wasn’t a name but she worked previously at Whistles, Calvin Klein and Gap. The other option is looking at your own team. When Christophe Decarin left Balmain in 2011, the French house didn’t draft in a star name – they promoted Olivier Rousting, previously director of womenswear. Gucci’s Frida Giannini, currently creative director, was a similar promotion, moving from handbags to ready-to-wear.


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The house with the longest vacancy – Mulberry, after Emma Hill left last year – could do worse than hire in this way. In fact, it would be taking a leaf out of its own book. Hill, who joined the company in 2008, was previously a jobbing designer who worked at Marc Jacobs, Gap and Burberry. She transformed the company with designs such as the Bayswater and the Alexa – with sales, at their peak in 2011, up to £170m. With the company losing a third of its market value since then, perhaps looking towards the quiet ones is the way to find the talent to make the difference.