LVMH announces changes at the top, but who will be the next Louis Vuitton men's designer?

A change of the guards at LVMH has seen a shuffling of management at the Group’s biggest brands, but a successor to Virgil Abloh at Louis Vuitton remains a mystery.

On Tuesday Louis Vuitton revealed a collaboration with Brooklyn-based designer KidSuper, who some have suggested could be next at the helm of its menswear brand.

Announcing a successor

A successor is expected to be announced after Paris Fashion Week, or at least this season, with other designers rumoured to be in the running including London-based menswear designers Martine Rose and Grace Wales Bonner.

Michael Burke, who spent ten years as Louis Vuitton’s CEO, is leaving his post for other LVMH responsibilities, although the Group did not go into detail. Mr Burke will replaced by Pietro Beccari, where his role at Dior will be taken over by Delphine Arnault, daughter of LVMH owner Bernard Arnault. Ms Arnault was previously the second in command at Louis Vuitton and head of its product product-related activities.

This will mean Dior will be a female-operated brand both at management and design levels, alongside Maria Grazia Chiuri.

Kidsuper designer Colm Dillane is thought to “fill the commercial and conceptual void left by Virgil Abloh’s death in 2021,” said the New York Times. Perhaps LVMH bosses are eyeing the success of the collaboration before making any appointments official.

While Louis Vuitton menswear contributes a smaller profit margin in comparison to its womenswear, especially its women’s accessories category, the importance of maintaining a cohesive brand story and building on the success of its previous designer, is imperative, if not critical to the Maison.