Lanvin's Alber Elbaz Is a Top Choice for Dior Vacancy

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Lanvin's Alber Elbaz may not be out of a job for long if the industry's top retailers get their way. WWD polled a number of retail industry insiders — most of whom remain anonymous — to find out who they think should replace Raf Simons at Dior, and the group overwhelming favored Elbaz. He was ousted from Lanvin last month after establishing a legacy as the brand's creative director for the past 11 years, and the firing created an uproar among the company's devoted employees.

The report praises Elbaz as a natural fit for Dior, although it speculates that the choice could simply be too obvious in the end. Other favorites include Givenchy's Riccardo Tisci (although WWD notes that Tisci seems happy where he's at) and Valentino's Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli.

At the bottom of the list is Olivier Rousteing, Balmain's millennial wunderkind. The retailers that were surveyed admit that it would be quite a change of pace for Dior if Rousteing ends up there, since Rousteing has built his name on overtly sexy, showy looks that don't immediately connect with Dior's minimalistic, classic themes.