Executive Exit Comes As Lanvin Group Continues Strategic Resets Amid Financial Pressure And Operational Changes
Siddhartha Shukla is stepping down from his role as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Lanvin, marking the end of a four-year tenure during which he led efforts to reposition the Paris-based house within a shifting luxury landscape.
Lanvin confirmed 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.” Lew acknowledged Shukla’s tenure, stating, “I would like to thank Siddhartha Shukla for his contribution to Lanvin during these past four years. We wish him every success in his future professional endeavors.”
Shukla, who joined Lanvin in December 2021 from Theory, framed his departure as the close of a defining chapter. “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.”
Lanvin moved quickly to address speculation around creative leadership, stating, “Lanvin management is fully committed to the continued development of the house under the artistic direction of Peter Copping.” The reassurance comes amid an industry-wide cycle of creative director changes that has intensified in recent months.
Shukla’s departure lands at a moment of continued transition for Lanvin Group, which has undergone a series of strategic adjustments since its public listing in late 2022. The group, which assembled a portfolio including Sergio Rossi, Wolford, St. John, and Caruso, has since reversed elements of that expansion—selling Caruso and divesting manufacturing assets tied to Wolford and Sergio Rossi.
Leadership turnover has accompanied these moves. The group recently installed new chief executives at St. John and Wolford and parted ways with Paul Andrew, creative director at Sergio Rossi. Earlier departures included Joann Cheng, who recruited Shukla and positioned him as a “change maker,” followed by successive leadership changes that brought Eric Chan and later Andy Lew into top roles. David Chan, a founding partner, also exited his post as executive president and chief financial officer last year.
The company’s financial performance has mirrored this period of recalibration. After growing at more than 30 percent annually in the two years leading up to its IPO, Lanvin Group reported a 0.9 percent increase in 2023, followed by a 22.9 percent decline in 2024, which it described as “a year of transformation.” For the six months ending June 30, sales fell 22 percent to $133 million.
The Lanvin brand itself has been particularly affected, with revenues declining 42.1 percent to $27.9 million over the same period. Industry headwinds, a contraction in wholesale, and a reduced store footprint have all contributed to the drop, alongside what sources described as limited marketing support and operational challenges including delayed deliveries.
Within this context, Shukla’s tenure was defined by a push to reposition Lanvin toward a more elevated, heritage-driven identity. One of his early moves was to part ways with designer Bruno Sialelli, whose commercially successful but stylistically disruptive designs had shifted the brand’s image. Shukla instead pivoted toward a quieter expression of luxury, commissioning photographer Steven Meisel for a series of “Character Studies” campaigns that emphasized restraint and continuity with the house’s legacy.
He later appointed Peter Copping as artistic director, tasking him with re-centering Lanvin around its historic codes of “chic ultime.” Copping’s Fall 2026 collection, which drew on 1920s influences and a more mature approach to dressing, was seen by observers as a step toward stabilizing the brand’s identity, with early signs of traction in womenswear and footwear.
Shukla’s tenure also spanned the group’s listing on the New York Stock Exchange via a SPAC deal in 2022. Initially priced at $10 per share, the stock fell sharply on its first day of trading and has continued to track the company’s uneven performance. Shares closed at $2.12 on Thursday, up 11.6 percent, giving the company a market capitalization of $296 million.
Despite the turbulence, Shukla maintained a focus on brand-building and product strategy. Before joining Lanvin, he spent eight years at Theory, where he rose from chief marketing officer to chief merchandising officer and ultimately chief brand officer. Earlier in his career, he held senior roles at Reed Krakoff and in communications at Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci, including a period as YSL’s global communications director in Paris from 2006 to 2012.
His absence at Lanvin’s March 6 show during Paris Fashion Week, where Andy Lew occupied the front row, had already signaled a shift in leadership visibility.
Shukla exits as Lanvin continues to navigate a complex repositioning—balancing heritage with relevance, and operational restructuring with creative renewal—while its parent group works to stabilize performance and redefine its long-term trajectory.