In mid January, it was announced that Kim Jones, the head of Louis Vuitton Men, would be stepping down after seven years in the role. Singapore Tatler editor Terence Lim and fashion director Desmond Lim gaze into the crystal ball to predict who has the chops to step into the hot seat. Here are our three hopefuls.

Riccardo Tisci

It's apparent at what the former creative director at Givenchy is capable of given how he revived the House with his vision and own brand of cool. There were strong rumours of him joining Versace but the Italian has been quiet since he quit Givenchy in early 2017.


Terence Lim (TL): We all know what Tisci can do and that he will definitely inject swagger into Vuitton if he takes over. But the thing is, he is a man, who is extremely confident of his capabilities. (That explains the inclusion of his name into the Givenchy brand. It was then known as Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci.) But at Vuitton, where the brand is king, can his inflated ego triumph? Also, he will only head menswear, not the brand. Can he accept that? I doubt so.


Desmond Lim (DL): His designs were bold and dark, drawing a lot of inspiration from themes like tribal warriors and Catholicism—these could translate to interesting ideas for travel, which is always the message behind Louis Vuitton. But my worry is, that would become predictable and one-note, like his last few collections for Givenchy. He is also not very strong with his accessories, which is the real money driver for Vuitton. 

 (Related: Louis Vuitton Men's Spring Summer 2018 Pop-up)

Virgil Abloh

The founder of Milan-based fashion label Off-White is hot property. Almost everything he touches today turns to gold. His collection is highly sought after and brands are dying to collaborate with him. The American designer clearly understands the fashion landscape well and creates products that speak to and appeal to the millennia's.

TL: Abloh has hit big time with what he has been doing with Off-White now that all the cool kids want to wear his label. His stock is rising and very of-the-moment—his appointment will be able to add more hype to Louis Vuitton.

DL: Having trained as an architect and with a huge passion for Renaissance art, he could possibly introduce interesting elements to the cool menswear at Vuitton. His take on accessories is always about playing up banality with common items like a tote or a carry-all, which could be refreshing given that on the womenswear side, Nicolas Ghesquière tends to be somewhat flashy and in-your-face bold. 

 (Related: Here's How A Louis Vuitton Masters Bag Is Actually Made)

Phoebe Philo

Her work at Céline is defining. Within 10 years at helm, she created a strong signature look for the Céline woman—a sleek, minimally chic and unfussy professional. One can almost tell her customer from miles away. When it comes to accessories, she has immense success with the Luggage tote, the Trio and the oversized Cabas.

TL: Her minimal aesthetic will definitely work for Louis Vuitton Menswear. After all, most men prefer to wear cleaner, no-fuss threads. Also, after what Kim Jones has done with Vuitton with prints, colours and textures, it may not be a bad thing to go back to basics again.

DL: With her clean lines and contemporary use of materials, she would be quite interesting for the house of Vuitton. She is also a great accessory designer—her infamous lambskin block-colored Cabas, the cool oversized Phantom and even the most recent bucket bag come to mind—and her creations are a hit with both men and women. 

Scroll through the photo gallery to see previous campaigns by the three possible candidates:

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'gallery right' 'gallery right'
Photo 1 of 6 Givenchy Spring/Summer 2015
Photo 2 of 6 Givenchy Fall/Winter 2015
Photo 3 of 6 Céline Spring/Summer 2012
Photo 4 of 6 Céline Fall/Winter 2015
Photo 5 of 6 Off-White Spring/Summer 2017
Photo 6 of 6 Off-White's collaboration with Nike

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