Nicolas Di Felice Departs Courrèges After Five Years Leading Its Renaissance

Five years ago, Nicolas Di Felice walked into Courrèges at the height of a global pandemic with a brief nobody envied: resurrect a 1960s Space Age house that had already defeated multiple creative directors before him. Previous attempts to revive the brand in the 21st century had proven unsuccessful, including a stint from the Coperni pair Arnaud Vaillant and Sébastien Meyer and German designer Yolanda Zobel, who joined in 2018 and was gone by 2020. Di Felice, a 42-year-old Belgian with a quiet resume and zero prior headline roles, took the job anyway. On Tuesday, March 24, Courrèges confirmed he is leaving.

Di Felice is stepping down to "focus on personal projects," the house said in a statement. Courrèges confirmed that the appointment of a new Artistic Director will be officially announced next week.

What he built in those five years is harder to dismiss than to summarize. Di Felice revived the space-age brand founded by André and Coqueline Courrèges in 1961, blending strong house codes with nods to rave and biker culture, and reinstated the original "AC" emblem while turning the brand's vinyl skirt sets, over-the-knee boots, and logo-stamped ribbed knits into house staples. Working in tandem with then-CEO Adrien Da Maia, he repositioned the brand's offering with sensual, gender-fluid takes on signature items like vinyl jackets, go-go boots, and ribbed knits, while also relaunching its fragrance line with scents including Slogan and Le Messager, and introducing accessories like the Hobo and Holy handbags.

Together with DJ and producer Erwan Sene, who handled all his soundtracks, and Rémy Brière, who designed his signature rectangular show sets, Di Felice positioned Courrèges as a cultural entity, staging a series of popular club nights under the Club Courrèges banner. The music pipeline ran even deeper: Di Felice worked on several music-related projects, from designing stage outfits for Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour to staging a pop-up with independent record store Dizonord in Paris. His designs have been worn by celebrities including Dua Lipa, Rosalía, Bella Hadid, Mikey Madison, and Zoe Saldaña.

He marked the milestone at his fall 2026 show, which summarized the design codes he brought to the house, with a mix of edgy daywear and conceptual evening clothes inspired by the geometric designs of founder André Courrèges. The collection brought viewers on a journey through "24 hours in the life of a Courrèges woman," featuring sleek minimalism and Di Felice's signature sexiness.

The house was fulsome in its farewell. "Under his direction, the house experienced a true renaissance, acclaimed by the critics, and established itself as a distinctive voice in the contemporary fashion landscape. Nicolas reinterpreted its iconic codes and created a true dialogue with a new generation," Courrèges said, adding that it is "grateful for his unique contribution."

The 42-year-old graduated from La Cambre fashion school in Brussels, then went to work under Nicolas Ghesquière at Balenciaga before a brief stint under Raf Simons at Dior, rejoining Ghesquière at Louis Vuitton in 2015 and remaining there until his Courrèges appointment. On Instagram, Di Felice wrote: "What an amazing adventure! I still remember with so much affection my very first day in this beautiful house, where everything had to be rebuilt."

Courrèges is owned by French billionaire François Pinault's family holding company Artémis. Industry chatter is already gaining momentum, with Di Felice's name circulating as a potential successor at Alaïa, following Pieter Mulier's recent move to Versace. Whatever comes next, the version of Courrèges he leaves behind, vinyl-slick, club-ready, and critically respected, is the most alive the house has looked since André Courrèges himself was cutting white miniskirts in the 1960s.