Introduction
Olivier Lapidus is a French designer whose career includes a documented Balmain Homme relationship in the mid-1980s and later work under his own name. Lanvin appointed him artistic director on 10 July 2017, with practical authority over women’s collections while Lucas Ossendrijver continued to lead menswear.
Lapidus presented Spring/Summer 2018, Pre-Fall 2018 and Autumn/Winter 2018–19 before leaving on 22 March 2018. His brief tenure articulated an interest in technology and communication, but the evidence supports a collection-level digital-art collaboration rather than a completed house-wide digital transformation.
Design ethos
Lapidus treats technical development as compatible with Paris fashion tradition. Fabrication, engineered surface and digital image can alter the polish of a familiar silhouette without requiring the clothes to become demonstrative technology objects.
At Lanvin, that interest remained bounded by a short calendar and an inherited studio. The most concrete expression was Krista Kim’s digital-art contribution to the final runway, where image and garment were connected at project level.
Disclaimer
Career history
2018
Olivier Lapidus left Lanvin on 22 March 2018, ending his women’s artistic direction after two runway collections. His departure was effective immediately; collection authority passed separately to the in-house studio.
2017
Lanvin appointed Olivier Lapidus on 10 July 2017 with practical authority over women’s collections while Ossendrijver continued menswear. Lapidus presented three main seasonal outputs before leaving on 22 March 2018.
1985
Olivier Lapidus served as artistic director of Balmain Homme in 1985 and 1986 before working in Japan and later leading the houses of Lapidus and Lanvin.
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