Serge Ruffieux is stepping down from his role as creative director of Carven after three seasons with the brand. Ruffieux’s departure comes during a tumultuous time for the label founded by Marie-Louise Carven in 1945. Earlier this year, Carven filed for bankruptcy protection in France, leading to speculation that the label would be sold or close altogether. In a statement, the maison wrote, “The house thanks Ruffieux for his creative input and collaboration.”
Prior to joining Carven, the Swiss-born Ruffieux was the interim co–artistic director of Dior’s womenswear collections with Lucie Meier, producing four collections between Raf Simons’s and Maria Grazia Chiuri’s tenures. (Meier has since been named the creative director of Jil Sander with her husband, the designer Luke Meier.) Ruffieux was Sonia Rykiel’s right-hand man for many years before that.
As for Carven, the brand seems to be re-evaluating its strategy. In a statement to WWD, a spokesperson said, “We recognize Serge Ruffieux’s great talent but we need time to evaluate the situation and make decisions that are the most appropriate to accompany the relaunching of Carven notably for what concerns creative direction and style.” What’s next for the historic brand is unclear. The same is true for Ruffieux, whose collections were met with generally positive feedback.
Now Read: The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Winner Is…
This article first appeared on Vogue.com