While rumours swirl that Carine Roitfeld will return to YSL with Hedi Slimane, Stefano Pilati may be back in the mix to replace John Galliano.

If that happens, I still don’t see him as the frontrunner at Dior, but I like his work.

At Dior, I could also go with … Actually, my list is longer than Riccardo Tisci. The LVMH stable has more talented designers I like very much:

Marc Jacobs

Currently head of design at Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs doesn’t design couture. I assume this is an important talent for the head of design at Dior. The American designers tend not be as respected, which could be an issue for Dior expansion in the luxury markets.

All agree that Mark Jacobs has done a great job at Louis Vuitton, which is a significantly larger brand with estimated sales of $7.5 billion vs $1.14 billion at Dior. Operating margins at Louis Vuitton are 45 percent vs 4.2 percent at Dior, writes WSJ.

I wouldn’t rock that boat.

Bernard Arnault knows the issues far better than I ever will, but I have written many times that Marc Jacobs is a man who truly loves women. It’s also said that Bernard Arnault loves the American entrepreneurial spirit.

I don’t worry my pretty blond head for one moment what he really thinks of females. I like his vibe and could care less that he’s gay. Misogyny is not in his blood.

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Alber Elbaz

I’ve raved about his designs for years. Same story. Alber Elbaz at Lanvin has a superb reputation with women. He is perhaps more internationally regarded than Mark Jacobs.

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Hedi Slimane

Sorry. I’m out. He’s a leader in the size 0, no breasts and hips for women movement. Hedi believes a woman’s bones must stick out of her back to be beautiful. He and Karl Lagerfeld are in total alignment on women’s bodies.

Enough said except that he hasn’t designed women’s wear which I hope counts for something.

Haider Ackermann

Like him but believe he’s not ready for Dior. In another LVMH brand, absolutely.

The industry buzz that Bernard Arnault could take him away from Chanel contention — whenever Karl Lagerfeld decides to quit or dies (I’m not being disrespectful) — is a good one.

Looking at Ackermann’s woman-loving, sensual clothes, I see him at Louis Vuitton or Givenchy, and especially the former.

It’s rumoured that Lagerfeld sees Ackermann as his replacement. If so, Chanel will become sexier than under Lagerfeld.

More reading: Tilda Swinton interviews Haider Ackermann for Interview.

Dries van Noten

Love the man’s work; love the man. He makes gorgeous, artful clothes that work for a wide range of women.

I’ve never had the feeling that Dries van Noten wanted the publicity, pressure and fanfare of representing a brand like Dior or Chanel.

Phoebe Philo

LVMH-owned Celine creative director Phoebe Philo is also on the list.

Philo doesn’t have the uber-intellectual pedigree of Riccardo Tisci. She’s more like Marc Jacobs with a strong vision of what women want to wear every day and an excellent eye for handbags and accessories.

It goes without saying that I would LOVE to see a woman designer at Dior, but I think Phoebe is a long-shot.

What Bernard Arnault doesn’t want right now is an arrogant “his highness” designer or a tortured soul. The world is in a fragile place, and there’s no room for drama queen creatives or tortured souls.

Can one be creative and not full of drama? Many people on this list prove that you can be.

Now that I’ve read the rather dismal financials at Dior, compared to Louis Vuitton, maybe Arnault will take a flier on Tisci as more in the pulse of the culture besides being a great designer, OR Philo, who did an arreplaceable job at Chloe and has a strong following, Elber Albaz who is a superb designer but more in the Marc Jacobs mindset, OR the team below.

Rodarte

As for the wild card in this new designer at Dior discussion, it’s the Rodarte sisters. SoCal designers Kate and Laura Mulleavey are the wild card and perhaps another option at Givenchy besides Ackermann.

Anna Wintour is on record saying that they have ‘imagination and originality to be in the same spirit as a John (Galliano) or an Alexander (McQueen).”

Rodarte is focused on green issues and the environment. Besides their extensive design talent, their green mindset is highly regarded by the LVMH company, who is investing in new labels that support Smart Sensuality women with Cultural Creatives values.

Anne

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