Just when you thought the creative reset was settling down, more is on the way.
Patou, founded by Jean Patou in 1914, announced on Friday the departure of its artistic director, Guillaume Henry, who joined the brand in 2018. “This mutual decision will allow Guillaume to fully dedicate himself to other projects, while the maison explores a different format for its future evolution,” the house said in a statement.
Henry presented his Fall/Winter 2026 collection during Paris Fashion Week just a few weeks ago in January — the collection was his last for the house.
LVMH acquired Patou in 2018. Before the relaunch, the label had been dormant in fashion for 30 years, focusing instead on fragrances. Henry was selected by Sidney Toledano to resurrect the brand as a fashion label, and has since brought new momentum to the heritage house. Patou is one of the eight brands of the LVMH Fashion Group, which includes Celine, Loewe, Fendi, Givenchy, Kenzo, Pucci and Marc Jacobs. LVMH doesn’t break down sales within the fashion and leather goods division, but Patou is among the smaller brands. The company did not elaborate on what the future format for Patou would look like. This comes after former Patou CEO, Sophie Brocart, exited in November 2024 after six years. The brand has since been led by Cyril Rahon, who was promoted general manager.
Prior to Patou, Henry worked for Givenchy and then Paule Ka before being appointed creative director of Carven in 2009 and then Nina Ricci in 2015.
Toledano, special advisor of Bernard Arnault, who helmed the LVMH Fashion Group until Pietro Beccari took over on January 1, said in a statement: “I would like to thank Guillaume for the energy he has brought and wish him great success for the rest of his career. With the Maison’s teams, Guillaume has been a craftsman of Patou s renewal and, during these seven years, he succeeded in offering ambitious collections that captivated critics and clients at each presentation.”
Henry added: “I would like to thank the LVMH group and especially Sidney Toledano for their trust over these years. I have been very happy and proud to accompany the renewal of Patou and I am forever grateful to all the teams which participated in the adventure and invested themselves unreservedly.”
