Oscar de la Renta may have found his successor. Insiders are whispering, according to WWD, that the designer is one step closer to poaching Nina Ricci’s creative director Peter Copping, who’s been eyed to take over the reigns since May.
But this isn’t the first time rumors circulated about a suitor for de la Renta’s label. In February 2013, de la Renta hired former Dior designer John Galliano for a three-week residency and insiders speculated that he was grooming the controversial designer to take over the helm. By April 2014, however, negotiations were called off. Some say talks halted over money; others speculate it was all about the design team—namely, who Galliano intended to bring on board.
At the end of the day, Peter Copping is a safer choice, and seen as a good match for the venerable brand. Prior to Ricci, where Copping has spent the last five years, the English-born creative interned for Christian Lacroix and worked as head of atelier at Louis Vuitton for 12 years, reporting to Marc Jacobs.
Neither camp has confirmed or denied the reports. Stay tuned as the story develops.
[WWD]
