Ladies and gentlemen, Christophe Lemaire has left the house – the house of Hermčs, that is. The label just announced that the artistic director of womenswear will show his final collection for Spring/Summer 2015 during Paris Fashion Week this October.

Image via vogue.co.uk.

Christophe, who took the creative helm from Jean Paul Gaultier in 2010, was dubbed a surprise choice for a replacement (he wasn’t widely known among the fashion set just yet). But over the next four years, Christophe’s sporty-chic style won the house critical acclaim, so much so that his Fall 2013 collection was praised by former New York Times fashion critic Cathy Horyn as “maybe [the top two or three] of the entire ready-to-wear season.”

Now, the designer is stepping down at Hermčs to expand his own label. How does he feel about cutting ties? “Working for Hermčs has been a great pleasure: a profoundly enriching experience on both a human and professional level,” Christophe said. “I am proud of what we have built together. My own label is growing in an important way and I now really want and need to dedicate myself to it fully.”

Although the label has not given a reason for the split or named a successor yet, Hermčs CEO Axel Dumas seems to only have good things to say about Christophe: “I am very grateful to Christophe for the passion with which he has addressed and enriched the expression of our house in women’s ready-to-wear. Under his artistic direction, the métier has renewed its aesthetic and produced very satisfactory financial results.”

I, for one, am sad to see Christophe leave Hermčs – but I can’t wait to see what he has in store for his own label’s future.

By Brianna Lapolla, Staff Writer

What do you think of Christophe Lemaire’s departure from Hermčs? Tweet us at @ruelala to share.

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