What’s next for Alaïa?

When Pieter Mulier presents his final collection for Alaïa this March, it will close one of the quietest yet most effective creative tenures in recent Paris fashion. Quiet not because it lacked impact, quite the opposite, but because it resisted spectacle in favour of consistency, restraint and a deep respect for the house’s codes.

After Azzedine Alaïa’s death in 2017, Richemont moved cautiously. For several seasons, the studio continued without a named successor, preserving the house’s rhythm and its almost anti-fashion positioning: no seasonal pressure, no runway theatrics, no forced relevance. Mulier’s appointment in 2021 marked a shift, not a rupture, but an evolution. He kept the sculptural rigor, the body-first philosophy, the obsession with cut, while subtly modernising the offer and, crucially, expanding categories that matter to a luxury group: bags, shoes and accessories.

The result was not just renewed critical interest, but measurable commercial traction. Alaïa became desirable again, on red carpets, in editorials, and on balance sheets. That success now makes Richemont’s next decision far more complex than its first.

Who could succeed Mulier?

The obvious question—who’s next?—is also the most dangerous one. Alaïa is not a brand that benefits from celebrity designers or viral aesthetics. Richemont is unlikely to install a provocateur or an “unknown genius” fresh from the graduate circuit. Instead, the group may look laterally: designers with proven creative leadership, an ability to work within a house’s language, and experience scaling a business without diluting it.

Names quietly circulating in industry circles tend to fall into two camps. First, senior designers who have long operated just below the marquee, creative directors of secondary lines, longtime right-hands, or studio leaders who understand how to build systems, not just collections. Second, designers with a background in houses where discipline, craftsmanship and sensual minimalism intersect, think alumni of Phoebe Philo-era Céline, Raf Simons’ studios, or even past Alaïa collaborators themselves.

In other words: less spotlight, more substance.

What happens to the team?

Equally critical is the question of continuity. Mulier’s success was not singular; it was structural. His studio, merchandising and accessories teams were instrumental in translating Alaïa’s codes into a modern luxury business. Richemont will want to retain as much of that institutional knowledge as possible, especially in leather goods, where momentum is hardest to rebuild once lost.

Whether the creative team stays will depend largely on who is appointed next. A lateral hire may prioritise stability; a star arrival may insist on a reset.

And then there is CEO Myriam Serrano. Under her leadership, Alaïa has achieved something rare: creative credibility and profit growth. If Mulier is indeed heading to Versace, as long rumoured, the Prada Group will almost certainly want to surround him with a strong, trusted management team. Serrano’s name would be high on that list. Richemont, meanwhile, will be keen to keep her, knowing that executive churn at this moment could destabilise the brand just as it has found its footing.

A defining moment for Richemont

For Richemont, Alaïa is no longer a heritage project to be protected, it is a growth brand that requires careful succession planning. The next creative director will need equal parts design intelligence and commercial fluency, someone capable of working within constraints rather than against them.