ZingW

There have been A LOT of fashion exits and rumours of late, so many it's hard to keep track of and/or remain interested. Creative directors seem to be jumping ship left right and centre, and frankly it's confusing. We've broken it down for you to hopefully make some sense out of this confusing musical chair situation, going through each rumour and decoding it.

The rumour: Rumours have been flying about this one for months, with Hedi Slimane (formerly of Saint Laurent) touted as Karl Lagerfeld's replacement. Page Six yesterday fuelled the fire, claiming that next month's Cuba show would be Lagerfeld's last.

The facts: Chanel has described the reports as "unsubstantiated", rendering the speculation nothing more than gossip. Lagerfeld has previously said that he'd only retire when he dies, so it seems unlikely that he'll abandon Chanel entirely.

Rumour: Hedi Slimane, who left Saint Laurent in March, is piped to take the baton after Lagerfeld retires. Saint Laurent co-founder Pierre Berge inadvertently escalated the speculation, after declining to comment on the rumours. He compared the fashion industry to football. "Designers have become like footballers," Berge said. "They go to the highest bidder."

The facts: There is probably some truth in that Chanel is probably the only fashion house who could afford the sort of salary that Slimane presumably now demands, but as it stands Chanel maintains that no one is leaving the brand.

Rumour: Alexander McQueen creative director Sarah Burton is set to replace Raf Simons at Dior. She is rumoured to have been in talks with the brand for months.

The facts: Even if the speculation is true, Burton has only recently had twins so an imminent move to Paris to join Dior is unlikely

Rumour: Raf Simons is expected to take the helm at Calvin Klein, following the exit of its menswear and womenswear directors Francisco Costa and Italo Zucchelli yesterday.

The truth: We have no idea yet, but Raf and Calvin Klein would be a good fit, and he'd revitalise the brand as he did at Dior. BUT. He has a non-compete clause with Dior, which means he can't work for any competing brands while he still has a Dior contract. We're not sure how long the clause is valid for, but it'll be a while before Calvin Klein could legally hire him.

Rumour: Phoebe Philo, who is widely credited with transforming both the perception and fortune of Celine, was rumoured to be leaving back in January to head up Azzedine Alaia.

Truth: Philo is staying put for now. An internal memo circulated among Celine staff stated that the reports were "based on rumors, not truths" and that Philo is as committed to Celine as ever.

With the dramatic exits come the successors - the confirmed kind. So Anthony Vaccarello has joined Saint Laurent, following Hedi Slimane's departure. He also runs his own label, and formerly worked at Versus Versace. Then at Lanvin, Bouchra Jarrar was hired in March to replace Alber Elbaz.

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