Rumors have already begun to swirl as Coach casts a wide net to find a it's new creative director. Marc Jacobs has been named on a "dream list of candidates" and has ignited a flury of chatter WWD reported.
Will his contract at Louis Vuitton will be renewed when it expires at the end of the year? Will Jacobs and his partner LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton choose the same path as Michael Kors and go for an initial public offering of his Marc Jacobs brand?
WWD was not able to confirm whether Jacobs was actually contacted regarding the Coach position and
sources stressed his inclusion on the list of potential candidates is mere speculation at this point. And acccording to other sources, other candidates on the list include Nicolas Ghesquière (former creative director at Balenciaga), Chloé's creative director Clare Waight Keller, Derek Lam, Phillip Lim, and Emma Hill (former creative director at Mulberry).
Coach is searching for a successor for Reed Krakoff, who after 16 years as president and executive creative director, will be stepping down. He will be leaving Coach in June 2014 to concentrate on his high-end namesake brand. Although, he could potentially exit sooner if a successor is found.
Karen Harvey Consulting has been hired to find Krakoff's successor at Coach. Coach is rumored to also be looking for a new chief merchandising officer, a crucial role that will work closely with the new creative director.
Jacobs is definitely the most intriguing of possible candidates for the creative director role, suggesting the industry at large feels he may leave Vuitton. Only time will tell.
