Is Carven's Wonderboy Going To Ricci?

Is Carven creative director Guillaume Henry set to take the helm at Nina Ricci? Following murmurs last week that Ricci helmer Peter Copping is headed to Oscar de la Renta the rumour mill has been searching for a possible successor - and it seems that Henry could be it.

Ricci said to have met with several young talents - including, reportedly, with rising Brit star Simone Rocha - but Henry's pedigree of transforming a sleeping French giant may prove too alluring. Copping's gentle revolution at the house, which he took creative control of in 2009, returned to the brand's signature feminine aesthetic following his predeccessor Olivier Theyskens's more dramatic interpretation. For his part, Henry has said before that he has no desire to plumb the archive of a heritage brand - and could certainly be relied upon to inject his own brand of modernity into the house.

Guillaume Henry

Henry burst on to the fashion scene almost five years ago as the first designer at relaunched former couture house Carven. Compared to Yves Saint Laurent, and lauded for producing collections that were both critcally acclaimed and commercially successful, he became one of French fashion's new darlings.

Ralph Toledano, president of the fashion division at Puig, Ricci's parent, had no urge to comment on the speculation while at the brand's show yesterday, stating simply: "We don't comment on rumours," while Henry himself swatted  WWD´squestions on the matter with a frank: "We are at Carven, and it's important."

Carven, Ricci, De la Renta and Henry have all, as yet, remained quiet.