Maison Jean‑Claude Jitrois names two creative directors as Jitrois remains artistic director

Maison Jean‑Claude Jitrois named Tristan Van Bruwaene and Jay Wilson Creative Directors while Jean‑Claude Jitrois retains the title of Artistic Director, the house announced on Feb. 25, 2026; the maison said the new leadership will present its first collection on March 6 at Paris Fashion Week and carry forward Jitrois’s leather heritage. The appointment creates a three‑person creative configuration designed to steer the brand’s visual identity and international presence.

The move follows a long arc: Jean‑Claude Jitrois founded the brand in 1980 and, at age 82 after turning 82 on January 10, has been described as an internationally renowned master of leather with more than forty‑five years shaping a singular vision of leather and clothing. Jitrois, who had a first career as a child psychotherapist and authored several reference works before reinventing himself in fashion, framed the change as continuity rather than departure, saying "I have always worked on the dynamics of the body and on the intimate relationship between the garment and the person who wears it. Tristan and Jay carry this vision forward with renewed energy. I remain the guardian of the House’s spirit, but I am proud to see that our tribe is ready to write the next chapter."

Tristan Van Bruwaene, reported as 35 years old, joins the formal leadership after more than fifteen years within the House. Jtdapper’s profile and the house materials emphasize his technical excellence in leather craftsmanship and an approach that "merges vector art, sculptural volume, and innovation in leather embroidery." Tristan has been identified as a specialist of Jitrois’s couture‑driven pieces and is credited with sustaining the maison’s standards at the intersection of luxury and exceptional craftsmanship; his social handle is listed as @la.tristance.

Jay Wilson, reported as 38 and British, brings a Central Saint Martins education and several years of studio collaboration with Jitrois to the Creative Director role. FashionUnited notes his studio experience and the house’s Instagram announcement listed his handle as @w1l3onc. The company statement positions both designers as jointly responsible "for creation in its broadest sense, from the collections to the global image of the House."

The maison framed the reorganization with precise language about direction and intent: "Today, that vision is carried by three. Not three separate directions, but one singular creative language enriched by complementary perspectives, faithful to the material, the savoir‑faire, and the Jitrois DNA." The independent luxury house described the move as "neither a break nor a sale, but a deliberate and proactive evolution with the desire to firmly establish the brand in the contemporary landscape."

Jitrois underscored the generational rationale in AFP‑reported remarks: "I turned 82 on January 10; we must prepare for the future. The future is youth." He added that he will not step away from the role, saying "I hate that word. I can't. I remain the artistic director and I am the guardian of the house's spirit; however, we must think about what comes next," and praised the disruptive value of new viewpoints: "Youth always brings a perspective that challenges everything we thought before. I seek diversity for the stimulation that comes from complementary viewpoints."

What to watch on March 6 at Paris Fashion Week is how Van Bruwaene’s sculptural leather techniques and Wilson’s Central Saint Martins‑honed sensibility cohere under Jitrois’s guardianship. The maison has positioned this trio as an intentional succession to evolve the Jitrois DNA while keeping the material and savoir‑faire central to its identity.