Lanvin Deputy CEO Siddhartha Shukla Departs Amidst Leadership Transition and Market Challenges

Siddhartha Shukla, the esteemed deputy CEO of Lanvin, is set to conclude his impactful tenure of more than four years with the luxury fashion house. This significant leadership transition, announced by the company, will see Andy Lew, the newly designated executive president of Lanvin's parent entity, Lanvin Group (formerly Fosun Fashion Group), assume the roles of chairman and CEO of Lanvin starting in January 2025. Lew is poised to provide continuous strategic oversight and support to the brand's leadership teams, ensuring a seamless continuation of its ambitious trajectory.

Lanvin Sees Leadership Shift Amidst Strategic Reorientation and Market Pressures

In a notable development for the high-fashion sector, Siddhartha Shukla, who served as deputy CEO of Lanvin, will be stepping down from his position. The announcement, made by the Lanvin Group on a Friday, indicates that Shukla's departure comes after more than four transformative years with the esteemed French fashion house. His exit is slated for January 2025. Concurrently, Andy Lew, who has been appointed executive president of Lanvin's parent company, Lanvin Group, is set to take on the additional responsibilities of chairman and CEO of Lanvin. Lew will play a pivotal role in guiding the brand's future direction, maintaining strategic continuity, and fostering strong leadership within the organization.

Shukla's journey at Lanvin, which began in December 2021, followed extensive experience in the fashion industry, including a dozen years in marketing at Kering, working with brands like Gucci and Saint Laurent, and an eight-year stint at Theory, culminating as its chief brand officer. His primary mission at Lanvin was to spearhead a comprehensive transformation in the wake of a turbulent period that saw multiple creative directors after the departure of Alber Elbaz in 2015. Under Shukla's guidance, Lanvin underwent a significant redefinition of its brand identity, product approach, retail aesthetic, and visual language. A key achievement included commissioning Steven Meisel for a distinctive black-and-white campaign in 2022, which introduced a new logo designed by M|M Paris. Following Bruno Sialelli's exit in April 2023, Shukla brought in Peter Copping as artistic director in June 2024, a designer renowned for his elegant feminine creations at Nina Ricci and Oscar de la Renta. This strategic hiring marked a 'return to le chic ultime,' or the ultimate chic, for Lanvin, echoing the vision of its founder, Jeanne Lanvin.

Since Copping's arrival, Lanvin has notably rejoined the prestigious Paris Fashion Week calendar and has witnessed encouraging year-on-year sales increases in women's ready-to-wear, footwear, and leather goods. Financially, the brand's sales escalated from €73 million in 2021 to approximately €120 million by 2023. However, the broader market landscape presented challenges. The luxury industry faced a downturn, impacting Lanvin, particularly with the contraction of the sneaker market—a segment where Lanvin's 'Curb' model had been a strong performer. Furthermore, a strategic rationalization of its retail footprint, involving the closure of about a dozen stores primarily in China, led to a projected decrease in sales to around €100 million for 2025, according to industry insiders.

The Lanvin Group, which made its debut on the New York Stock Exchange in December 2022, has also felt the repercussions of China's economic slowdown. In February 2026, the group divested its Italian menswear label, Caruso, to MondeVita Italy Srl. The group's portfolio still includes Austrian skinwear specialist Wolford, Italian shoemaker Sergio Rossi, and American knitwear brand St. John. The financial performance of the group reflected these challenges, with revenues declining by 22% in the first half of 2025 compared to the first half of 2024, and EBITDA losses deepening. This leadership announcement closely follows Lanvin's recent show during Paris Fashion Week, which received positive reviews, with Vogue Runway's Sarah Mower noting the abundance of 'great dresses'—a sentiment not seen since the tenure of Alber Elbaz.

The departure of a key executive like Siddhartha Shukla from a brand like Lanvin underscores the dynamic and often challenging nature of the luxury fashion industry. His efforts in revitalizing Lanvin’s brand identity and bringing in a new artistic director were commendable and demonstrably impactful in certain product categories. However, the broader economic climate, particularly the slowdown in key markets like China, highlights that even successful internal strategies can be overshadowed by macroeconomic pressures. This transition also reflects a common trend in fashion, where leadership changes are often accompanied by strategic realignments aimed at navigating evolving market conditions. It will be interesting to observe how Andy Lew's comprehensive oversight will steer Lanvin through these complexities and if the brand can regain its financial momentum while preserving its revitalized creative vision.