Nicolas Di Felice and Courrèges are parting ways. The Belgian designer, who took the helm of the historic Space Age label in 2020, confirmed Tuesday that he is stepping down to “focus on personal projects.” His successor will be announced next week, adding yet another chapter to the relentless cycle of Creative director changes across the industry.
The timing is sharp. Just three weeks ago, Di Felice staged what turned out to be his farewell show – though no one knew it at the time. Titled “24 Hours in the Life of a Courrèges Woman,” the Fall 2026 collection captured the concept of a day-to-night wardrobe in a cinematic fashion. Guests received a clock as their invitation, and as the show began, the soundtrack traced the cadence of daily life: the steady tick of passing seconds, snippets of radio news, and the sound of coffee brewing. In retrospect, the gesture reads like a farewell letter written in clothes.
Why Nicolas Di Felice departure marks a turning point for Courrèges
When Di Felice arrived at Courrèges in the fall of 2020, the brand had been through a rough patch. Previous attempts to revive the house in the 21st century had been unsuccessful. The pair behind Coperni had tried, as had German designer Yolanda Zobel. Zobel joined the team in 2018 but was gone by 2020. Di Felice inherited something that needed more than a refresh. It needed a coherent vision.
He found one. In close collaboration with CEO Adrien Da Maia, Di Felice brought a sensual, gender-fluid energy to Courrèges‘s foundational pieces: vinyl jackets, go-go boots, and ribbed knits. Di Felice’s slick minimalism, sexiness, and body-consciousness are so well established that they need no thematic bolstering. The clothes spoke plainly. They also sold. A reissue of the house’s popular vinyl jackets quickly won Marc Jacobs’s approval, and his more modern designs caught Hailey Bieber’s and Dua Lipa’s eyes.
The Fall 2026 show that became an unspoken farewell
The runway was built to resemble a Parisian street. It was narrow enough that the toes of seated guests nearly grazed the passing hems. Manholes and surface markings lined the floor. The tight setting was by design, not accident.
Di Felice drew inspiration from Belgian director Chantal Akerman. Backstage, he said the idea came from rewatching one of her films and that “it’s about a girl on the move.” The collection itself delivered. There were slim coats with funnel collars, A-line silhouettes, and jersey pieces with graphic cutouts at the back and sides. Vinyl appeared in two forms: technical quarter-zip tops accented with leather and robust wool coats with dramatically popped XL collars evoked the practical side of the wardrobe, while sculptural dresses shimmered under the lights; many were punctuated by daring slits. There were also dresses constructed from Paris metro tickets and cloakroom stubs – small, unexpected details that have always been Di Felice’s way of keeping courrèges from becoming too formal.
For the finale, the models reappeared wearing the collection’s looks, entirely reworked in white – an “open canvas” for whatever the next day may bring. Now we know what that canvas actually meant.
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What comes next for the designer and the house
“I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the group, especially François Pinault and François-Henri Pinault, for their trust,” said Di Felice. “I also want to thank all the teams and my friends whose talent and dedication made this human and creative journey so meaningful.“
On Instagram, he 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.“
What comes next for Di Felice is unclear. According to the Business of Fashion, he will be a guest designer at Jean Paul Gaultier’s next haute couture show. Speculation about larger roles, including the vacancy at Alaïa following Pieter Mulier’s departure for Versace, is already circulating. Di Felice is 42 years old, has five years of house-building experience, and apparently has something new ahead.