Nina Ricci

Nina Ricci is a French fashion house known for ladylike clothing and delicate perfumes that has been under the helm of the British-American designer Harris Reed since 2022. At the time of his appointment, he had only three collections under his belt at his namesake label—which he has continued to produce since—but he had quickly established a reputation for theatrical gender-fluid designs. “I am truly excited to challenge the landscape of what femininity means across fashion and beauty in such an iconic house,” Reed said when he landed the Nina Ricci job. He followed through by producing a debut collection in an expanded size range as well as incorporating models of different genders on the runway.

The maison was founded in 1932 by Maria “Nina” Ricci, a seamstress turned couture salon stylist, and her son Robert. Known for draping her clothes directly on a live model to achieve ultra-flattering silhouettes, Ricci quickly became the go-to designer for French women and their daughters, who were seeking debutante dresses, party frocks, and wedding trousseaux distinguished by fine details and luxurious fabrics. In 1948, Robert launched L’Air du Temps, with its instantly recognizable Lalique flacon, which continues to be a best-selling perfume to this day.

In 1998, the house was acquired by the Spanish company Puig, which shuttered the couture collection and installed the Canadian designer Nathalie Gervais, to revive the brand. Gervais was well-suited for the position, having worked under Tom Ford when the American designer was tasked with the very same assignment at Gucci. Though her collections were widely praised and brought the brand back to American stores, she left her post in 2001; eventually replaced by the Swedish designer Lars Nilsson in 2003. Nilsson expanded the label’s seasonal offerings, doubling its ready-to-wear sales; but by 2006 he was replaced by Olivier Theyskens. The Belgian wunderkind found critical success with a moody, romantic, and ultra-feminine vision that quickly became a favorite of young Hollywood stars, including Reese Witherspoon, who had a memorable turn at the 2007 Golden Globes in a form-fitting canary yellow dress by the designer.

By 2009, Theyskens was unable to turn his industry cachet into a booming business and he stepped down. His successor was the British designer Peter Copping, who had spent time at Louis Vuitton’s womenswear under Marc Jacobs, and in his five year tenure at the house was largely credited with spearheading the maison’s economic—and creative—comeback. After him, a slew of creative designers arrived in quick succession: Guillaume Henry, the young French designer who had put Carven back on the map arrived in 2015, followed by Botter’s Lisi Herrebrugh and Rushemy Botter in 2018.