BOUCHRA JARRAR CONFIRMED AS LANVIN’S NEW WOMEN’S DESIGNER

The couturier's first collection for the brand will be for spring 2017.

When Alber Elbaz was abruptly dismissed from Lanvin back in October, it didn't take long for the rumor mill to pick up steam regarding his replacement. At one point, both Erdem Moralioglu and Stefano Pilati were reported to be in the running for the top design position. But last week, market sources revealed that the French fashion house was planning to hire couturier Bouchra Jarrar as its newest womenswear designer — and suddenly, she became the frontrunner.

On Friday morning, Lanvin confirmed Jarrar's appointment as the artistic director of women's collections, according to WWD and Business of Fashion. The 45-year-old French designer will reportedly begin her new role on Monday, and will debut her first collection for the brand for spring 2017 this fall. Lanvin did not immediately respond to our request for comment.

The Cannes-born Jarrar graduated from Paris' Duperré School of Applied Arts in 1994, after which she spent two years in the jewelry department at Jean Paul Gaultier. She then moved to Balenciaga where she worked for 10 years, serving as studio director for Nicolas Ghesquière until 2006 before becoming head of couture design at Christian Lacroix. Jarrar launched her signature label in 2010, and was granted official haute couture appellation three years later.

Jarrar, of course, has big shoes to fill in replacing the universally adored Elbaz who spent 14 years as the house's creative lead. And while Elbaz's designs generally skewed more formal, Jarrar is widely heralded for her minimalism, which could very well translate to added commercial success — especially important in light of the brand's sliding sales as of late.