The fashion rumor mill has a new possible creative-director switch to obsess over: Chemena Kamali is being discussed online as a potential successor to Anthony Vaccarello at Saint Laurent, as speculation grows that Vaccarello could be preparing to leave the house after a decade.
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Nothing has been confirmed by Saint Laurent, Kering, Chloé or Richemont. For now, this remains firmly in rumor territory. Still, the timing has given the story momentum. Reports about a possible Vaccarello departure began circulating in August, alongside separate speculation that Kamali could leave Chloé less than three years after taking over the house.
The Kamali-to-Saint-Laurent theory has an obvious connection. Before returning to Chloé as creative director in 2023, the German designer spent several years at Saint Laurent, where she served as Women’s Ready-to-Wear Design Director under Vaccarello from 2016. That existing knowledge of the house has made her name particularly interesting as speculation around Saint Laurent’s next chapter intensifies.
Kamali’s Chloé appointment marked a return to a house where she had already worked twice, first during Phoebe Philo’s era and later under Clare Waight Keller. Since taking control, she has developed a recognizable romantic and bohemian direction for the brand and revived the Paddington bag. Reports of a possible exit therefore arrived unexpectedly, although Chloé has not confirmed that she plans to leave.
Vaccarello’s own situation remains equally unconfirmed. He joined Saint Laurent as creative director in 2016 after Hedi Slimane’s departure and has now led the house for ten years. During that period, Saint Laurent significantly increased its scale under Kering, while Vaccarello extended his role into film through Saint Laurent Productions. Recent reports have suggested he may be considering an exit, potentially to focus further on cinema, though the house has made no announcement.
There is also one important reason to treat the rumors cautiously: Vaccarello is still officially listed as Saint Laurent’s artistic director, and the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode currently credits him in that role ahead of the house’s September 29, 2026 show. Saint Laurent has also continued releasing Fall 2026 material under his name in recent days.
That has not stopped fashion insiders and social media accounts from connecting the two stories. If Vaccarello does leave and Kamali follows him at Saint Laurent, the appointment would amount to a return for a designer who already knows the internal language of the house while bringing the visibility she has gained at Chloé.
For now, the most accurate version of the story is also the most intriguing: the internet is saying Chemena Kamali could be heading to Saint Laurent, while Anthony Vaccarello is rumored to be out. Neither move is official.
With Paris Fashion Week approaching and Saint Laurent scheduled to show on September 29, any change at the top would immediately become one of the season’s biggest fashion stories.
