Lanvin Names Design Veteran Peter Copping as New Artistic Director

Peter Copping steps out to applause from the audience after the modeling of the Oscar de la Renta Fall 2016 collection during Fashion Week, Feb. 16, 2016, in New York. (AP)
Peter Copping steps out to applause from the audience after the modeling of the Oscar de la Renta Fall 2016 collection during Fashion Week, Feb. 16, 2016, in New York. (AP)
TT

Lanvin Names Design Veteran Peter Copping as New Artistic Director

Peter Copping steps out to applause from the audience after the modeling of the Oscar de la Renta Fall 2016 collection during Fashion Week, Feb. 16, 2016, in New York. (AP)
Peter Copping steps out to applause from the audience after the modeling of the Oscar de la Renta Fall 2016 collection during Fashion Week, Feb. 16, 2016, in New York. (AP)

Lanvin, the world’s oldest continuously running couture house, named veteran designer Peter Copping on Thursday as its new artistic director.

Founded in 1889 by Jeanne Lanvin and based in Paris, Lanvin will welcome Copping as the creative head of its women’s and men’s collections starting in fall.

“Jeanne Lanvin was a visionary of her time whose passions and interests went beyond fashion, something I share with her,” Copping said in a statement.

British by origin and a veteran designer, Copping is a graduate of Central Saint Martins and the Royal College of Art in London. He began his career at Sonia Rykiel, spent over a decade at Louis Vuitton as head of women’s ready-to-wear alongside Marc Jacobs, and later served as creative director at Nina Ricci in Paris and Oscar de la Renta in New York.

Most recently, Copping led haute couture at Balenciaga, overseeing the reintroduction of the house’s couture collections.

His “arrival at Lanvin marks a significant step in the renaissance of one of the great French houses,” said Siddhartha Shukla, Lanvin’s deputy general manager.

Lanvin, which recently celebrated its 135th anniversary, is a big name in luxury ready-to-wear, leather goods, and accessories.



Tan Leather, Trio of Protestors Parade Hermes Catwalk in Paris

Models present creations by Hermes for the Women Ready-to-wear Spring-Summer 2025 collection as part of the Paris Fashion Week, in Paris on September 28, 2024. (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP)
Models present creations by Hermes for the Women Ready-to-wear Spring-Summer 2025 collection as part of the Paris Fashion Week, in Paris on September 28, 2024. (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP)
TT

Tan Leather, Trio of Protestors Parade Hermes Catwalk in Paris

Models present creations by Hermes for the Women Ready-to-wear Spring-Summer 2025 collection as part of the Paris Fashion Week, in Paris on September 28, 2024. (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP)
Models present creations by Hermes for the Women Ready-to-wear Spring-Summer 2025 collection as part of the Paris Fashion Week, in Paris on September 28, 2024. (Photo by JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP)

For her spring summer runway show, Hermes designer Nadege Vanhee sent out a parade of mesh crop tops and calfskin coats in tan hues on Saturday, a lineup that was briefly interrupted by three animal rights activists.
The show was kicking off with a series of light, beige looks -- loose trousers, sheer tops and a suede coat cinched in the back -- when the first protestor from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) group burst on to the catwalk, wielding a sign calling for the label to stop using exotic skins, Reuters reported.
She was wrestled out of a side door by security guards just before the next model arrived, dressed in a buttery leather bomber jacket paired with a high waisted culotte.
Security guards nabbed another protestor who jumped on the catwalk shortly after, rushing her out the same side door in time for the next look -- a sheer top in ivory that matched the model's trousers and handbag.
The parade continued, featuring long sheer skirts unzipped to the thighs, bright pink dresses and belted outerwear.
When a third protestor suddenly appeared, the audience gasped. Her appearance was also brief, and the show continued.
It is not the first time PETA protestors have targeted the French label, known for its highly-coveted Birkin bags, with versions in exotic skins famous for fetching prices reaching as much as several hundred thousand dollars in auctions.
Paris Fashion Week, which started on Sept. 23, features dozens of brands including Dior, Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent, Chanel and Victoria Beckham, wraps up Oct. 1.
PETA also targeted the Dior show earlier this week for the brand's use of feathers, with just one protestor very briefly entering the catwalk.