Gaultier Leaves Hermès, and Lemaire Steps In

In a move that has surprised the French fashion world, the luxury fashion house Hermès announced Wednesday that the label’s next Creative Director will be Christophe Lemaire, the young designer who has pulled the French brand Lacoste into the twenty-first century over the past five years. Hermès’s current director, the fashion rock star Jean-Paul Gaultier, will design their Spring/Summer 2011 collection, to be shown later this year, before Lemaire takes over, with his debut collection set for Fall/Winter 2011 Paris Fashion Week.

The latest in a series of well-known designers to take the helm at Hermès, Lemaire, though by no means as flashy as Gaultier, has made a distinctive name for himself since he was hired by Lacoste in 2005, and his selection may indicate a change in direction for the two-century-old fashion house. While also designing an under-the-radar solo line, available at his boutique in the Marais, Lemaire has revitalized the Lacoste brand and made it trendy again, streamlining and tailoring its classic pieces and adding bright bursts of color to once-staid polo shirts. That little alligator hasn’t been so popular in years, and all eyes will be watching intently to see how he measures up to his predecessor.