The changes keep coming at Lanvin Group.
American executive Siddhartha Shukla, who has been spearheading an upscaling drive at Lanvin, is stepping down from his role as deputy chief executive officer of the Paris-based fashion house, WWD has learned.
In a brief statement shared exclusively with WWD, Lanvin characterized his exit as “by mutual agreement,” noting that Andy Lew, executive president of Lanvin Group, and chairman and CEO of Lanvin, will “continue to oversee the brand and its strategic ambitions, ensuring continuity and supporting the leadership teams.”
“I would like to thank Siddhartha Shukla for his contribution to Lanvin during these past four years,” Lew said in the statement. “We wish him every success in his future professional endeavors.”
His next move could not immediately be learned.
For his part, Shukla stated: “Guiding the brand and business of Lanvin has been one of the greatest challenges and greatest honors of my career. As I step down after four remarkable years, I do so with immense pride in what we have achieved together and with enduring confidence in the team’s ability to carry forward our convictions and our shared vision for this treasure of French fashion and culture.”
Preemptively squelching speculation about a designer change, which has been coming thick and fast at the tail end of fashion month, the statement said, “Lanvin management is fully committed to the continued development of the house under the artistic direction of Peter Copping.”
Lanvin, fall 2026
Alessandro Lucioni /Courtesy of
Shukla’s departure comes amid broader management turbulence and strategic U-turns at the upstart luxury group, which assembled a clutch of brands with proprietary production facilities — Sergio Rossi, Wolford, St. John and Caruso — only to recently offload factories once dedicated to Wolford and Sergio Rossi, and sell Caruso outright.
The publicly traded luxury player also recently named new CEOs at St. John and Wolford, and parted ways with Paul Andrew, creative director at Sergio Rossi.
Lanvin Group went public in late 2022 in a SPAC deal that was priced at $10 a share, but was immediately met with skepticism by investors, who traded the shares down 25 percent on its first day. The stock closed up 11.6 percent to $2.12 on Thursday, leaving the firm with a market capitalization of $296 million.
The stock declined in tandem with the company’s financial performance.
While the group had grown at 30 percent-plus during the two years before its offering, it inched up with just a 0.9 percent gain in 2023 and was down 22.9 percent in 2024, in what the company described as “a year of transformation” when operations were optimized and a new course was set for the future.
For the six months ended June 30, total sales fell 22 percent to $133 million.
That included a 42.1 percent drop to $27.9 million for the Lanvin brand, which was hit by a generally difficult industry trend, a contraction of the wholesale business and cuts to the store base. The negative impact was then compounded by what sources described as a lack of regular financial support from the parent company, the absence of marketing and late deliveries.
All together, Lanvin is a storied brand that’s been in a tough spot for a while.
Shukla was recruited in December 2021 from Theory by Joann Cheng, then chairwoman of Lanvin and Lanvin Group, lauding the executive as a “change maker” with in-depth experience across the luxury and contemporary segments, including marketing initiatives, product innovation and business transformation.
Among his key decisions was parting ways with designer Bruno Sialelli, whose chunky, fat-laced Curb sneakers and cat-handle handbags were propelling the house, but warping its image.
Shukla conscripted photographer Steven Meisel to do a series of “Character Studies” campaigns that telegraphed a quieter form of chic linked to Lanvin’s claim to fame as the oldest fashion house in Paris.
Eventually, the executive settled on Copping — a seasoned talent whose résumé includes stints at Balenciaga, Nina Ricci, Oscar de la Renta and Louis Vuitton — tasking him with steering the brand back to its legacy as a purveyor of “chic ultime.”
Copping’s fall 2026 collection for Lanvin, widely praised, settled into a groove of grown-up dressing with a ‘20s flavor, and his women’s ready-to-wear and shoes have been showing good commercial traction, according to sources.
Shukla had an eventful tenure, accompanying Lanvin Group as it listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2022.
Cheng departed the group in 2023 and was subsequently succeeded by Eric Chan and then Lew. David Chan, a founding partner of Lanvin Group, also exited last October from his role as executive president and chief financial officer.
Shukla was not present at the Lanvin show on March 6 during Paris Fashion Week, with Lew taking pride of place in the front row.
A brainy, indefatigable executive with a passion for brands and products, Shukla enjoyed an eight-year career at Theory, rising from chief marketing officer to chief merchandising officer and ultimately chief brand officer.
Prior to that he was vice president of marketing and communications at Reed Krakoff. He started his career in a variety of PR posts in the U.S. at Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci, ultimately moving to Paris to become YSL’s global communications director from 2006 to 2012.
Lanvin, fall 2026
Alessandro Lucioni /Courtesy of
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