Creative director changes 2026: every appointment and exit at the houses, dated

This tracker lists the creative director appointments and exits at fashion houses in 2026 that we could confirm from an opened source, newest first. It is a living page: when a house names a successor or a new date lands, it will be updated rather than rewritten. Dates are the dates of the announcement, not of any rumor, and "as of October 14, 2026" applies to every status below.

The 2026 list at a glance

• October 9, Saint Laurent: Anthony Vaccarello's departure announced; no successor named.
• July 2026, Rabanne: Olivier Rousteing named, replacing Julien Dossena.
• June 8, Carven: Kai Nesselrath named design director, replacing Mark Thomas.
• March 2026, Courrèges: Drew Henry named, replacing Nicolas Di Felice.
• March 2026, Nina Ricci: Harris Reed leaves; no successor named in the source we opened.
• February 5, Versace: Pieter Mulier named, starting July 1.
• January 30, Alaïa: Mulier's exit confirmed; no successor named.

Saint Laurent: a decade ends, the seat is empty

On October 9, 2026, Saint Laurent announced the departure of artistic director Anthony Vaccarello, who had led the house's creative direction since 2016. In the Kering release, Kering chief executive Luca de Meo thanked Vaccarello for his decade at the house, and Saint Laurent chief executive Cédric Charbit thanked him for ten years of service. The release says the house will announce its new creative direction soon, but names no one and gives no effective date. We covered what was and was not said in our explainer on Vaccarello's exit.

Rabanne: Rousteing in, Dossena out

Julien Dossena announced his departure from Rabanne on June 24, 2026, after 13 years, according to FashionUnited. Puig-owned Rabanne then named Olivier Rousteing as creative director in July 2026, with his first collection at Paris Fashion Week in March 2027. Ana Trias, president of prestige and fashion brands at Puig, said Rousteing's vision is "bold, magnetic, and deeply connected to the energy of today."

Carven and Courrèges: two debuts already on the runway

Carven named Kai Nesselrath design director on Monday, June 8, 2026. He replaces Mark Thomas, who had held the role for about 18 months and whose departure was announced in April. Carven chief executive Shawna Tao said, "We are delighted to welcome Kai to Carven." His first show was October 1, 2026, per Complex's Paris schedule.

At Courrèges, Drew Henry was named in late March 2026 after Nicolas Di Felice, who led the relaunch for five years, announced his exit the week before. FashionUnited said Henry's tenure started May 6. His debut ran on September 30, and we reviewed it in our Courrèges spring 2027 piece.

Alaïa, Versace and Nina Ricci: the Mulier and Reed moves

Alaïa confirmed on January 30, 2026 that Pieter Mulier would step down after the Summer and Fall 2026 show during Paris Fashion Week in March. The house said its studio team would "ensure continuity in the interim period until a creative organization is confirmed." Alaïa chief executive Myriam Serrano said Mulier and his team "have shaped Alaïa's creative renewal." We found no successor announcement as of October 14, 2026.

Five days later, on February 5, Prada Group and Versace announced Mulier would lead creative direction at Versace from July 1, 2026, reporting to executive chairman Lorenzo Bertelli. He replaces Dario Vitale, who left in December 2025 after a single season, per FashionUnited's report.

Harris Reed told followers on Instagram in March 2026 that he was leaving Nina Ricci after about three and a half years to focus on his own label, saying he was "ready to take my own company into its next chapter." His last Nina Ricci show was for autumn and winter 2026. The article we opened named no successor.

What the titles and owners tell you

The job titles are not uniform. Carven's Nesselrath is a design director, Versace's Mulier leads creative direction (some outlets use chief creative officer), and Saint Laurent's Vaccarello was artistic director. The difference matters when you read an announcement: at Carven the announcement quoted chief executive Shawna Tao, while at Versace the new leader reports to executive chairman Lorenzo Bertelli. Who the person reports to is a better guide to the job than the title.

Ownership is the other thing to read. Kering announced the Saint Laurent move. Puig owns Rabanne, and Harris Reed thanked Puig on leaving Nina Ricci. Prada Group and Versace jointly announced Mulier. Four of the seven moves therefore sit inside three groups, which is why one group's strategy can shape several of the changes at once.

Harris Reed's departure also shows how announcements happen: he told his followers on Instagram, and the source we opened carried no statement from Puig. When a designer announces before the house, treat the successor question as open until the house speaks.

Dates to watch next

• Saint Laurent: a successor announcement, which Kering says is coming without a date.
• Alaïa: any announcement of a creative organization.
• Rabanne: Rousteing's first runway at Paris Fashion Week in March 2027.

Our take

Seven moves in nine months is a lot, but the pattern is narrower than the headlines suggest. Most of it sits in houses owned by Kering and Puig, and two seats are still open. The honest way to follow it is by announcement date, not rumor. We will update this page as each one lands.