Here's my incomplete list (I removed the non-fashion brands as well as those still helmed by their founder.
LVMH
Berluti - Claire Wright-Keller
I feel that Claire's tenures at Chloé and Givenchy have shown us that she has a very innate sense of classical beauty and I feel that casual, yet dressed up aesthetic would be at home at Berluti, while seducing new costumers. She could also introduce a solid womenswear line.
Celine - ?
Christian Dior - ?
The reason why I split the house in this way is because I feel the need for the menswear and womenswear to
Emilio Pucci - ?
Fendi - ?
Givenchy - Natacha Ramsay-Levi
At Chloé, Natacha's work, while interesting, was too edgy and experimental for the house's customer. I feel that this edge would be much better received at more risk taking Givenchy. It's just a matter of how she'd approach menswear.
Kenzo - ?
Loewe - ?
Louis Vuitton - Felipe Oliviera Baptista (both genders)
I feel that Felipe and his design language would be perfectly suited to Louis Vuitton, since he understands how to appeal to both the high fashion and streetwear crowds. His work is also similar to Virgil's, meaning that he could still keep the attention of that crowd. It's just a matter of the show production being at the level of Virgil's.
Off White - Ghost Team
I think that LVMH will be better off closing the ready to wear divisions and focusing on the lucrative logo items, accessories and collaborations. The reason for this is because I feel that Virgil's fans don't seem to care for traditional fashion, implying that they wouldn't care much for seasonal collections designed by a replacement. Another reason is that, as a extremely successful black fashion design, Virgil's position is very politicised in today's fashion world. Bad publicity due to a white or a non-black POC at the helm could put Off White in serious PR, or pontentially financial, peril.
Patou - ?
Kering/Artemis
Alexander McQueen - Alice Vaillant
While I acknowledge that Alice has just started designing collections recently and isn't at the level of Lee, there's something dark, dangerous and sensual about her work that reminds me of his very early work (Joan, Highland r*pe, etc.).
Balenciaga - Nicolas di Felice
I know that Nicolas, as a disciple of another Nicolas, would understand how to bring a modern eye to the brand that's respectful
Bottega Veneta - ?
Courrèges - Simon Porte Jacquemus
As much as you guys seem to hate his work and the house lacks technical skills (La Montagne was especially sloppy.), I feel that he has a strong vision that could be amazing if it was accompanied by a strong atelier. I also feel that André and Simon both have a similar visions of women (optimistic, free, slightly athletic). Just keep him far far away from the menswear.
Gucci - Demna Gvasalia
I feel that placing Demna would truly feel at home at Gucci, since it's a large house that doesn't have any hard-set codes, meaning that he could go as mad as he wants.
Saint Laurent - Alessandro Dell'Acqua
Alessandro's brand Nº21 shows that he is perfectly capable of continuing from Hedi and Anthony's tenures, while his six-year tenure at Rochas shows that he could potentially incorporate a drop of classicism in the sea of heroin chic.
OTB
Jil Sander - Rushmey Botter
Being a menswear designer, Rushmey's tailoring and outerwear at Nina Ricci are excellent, but the dresses leave too much to be desired. Jil Sander is mostly focused on tailoring, allowing him to focus on what he knows best.
Maison Margiela - Glenn Martens
Glenn's designs for Y-Project prove that he could easily reinterpretate Margiela for today's climate, while keeping the layer of humour and sincerity Martin had.
Marni - Jonathan Anderson
I feel that while Jonathan is as experimental as Marni's current CD, he knows how to edit and present a concise, strong collection. It would be like an improvement.
Richemont
Alaïa - Carly Cushnie
Carly has shown to have an innate understanding of sculptural, sensual clothing, similar to Alaïa. It would be interesting to see how a woman would interpretate his aesthetic.
Chloé - Marie Ève Lecavalier
Marie Ève would be a perfect fit at Chloé, since her work at Lecavalier is a modern take of the 60s and 70s. She knows how to approach easy-going flou, but knows how to challenge her customer as well. Her leather recycling techniques could also be a good add-on to Gabriela's sustainable development.
Puig
Carolina Herrera - ?
Nina Ricci - ?
Paco Rabanne - ?
Others that I couldn't be bothered to categorise
Azzaro - Riccardo Tisci
Riccardo seems to be "trapped" at Burberry, but I think that judging by the evening dresses of the last few collections and his Couture collections at Givenchy show that he'll be able the push Azzaro into relevancy once more.
Burberry - Daniel Lee
I feel that Daniel, especially his earlier collections at BV, has an aesthetic that is stylish and attention grabbing, while not clashing with Burberry's heritage. His accessories could also be very good for Burberry's revenue.
Calvin Klein - ?
Chanel - Maria Grazia Chiuri
I feel that while Maria is a good designer, her pragmatism fetish is unsuitable for the hedonistic Dior. It is however, perfect for Chanel.
Helmut Lang - Mowalola Ogunlesi
Mowalola seems to be the only designer who can pull off "sexy but not sl*tty", while creating good basics that sell well. It would also be nice to see her work in a luxury context again.
Lacoste - Boramy Viguer
Boramy is one of the few newer menswear designers that know how to mix the streetwear and high fashion worlds effortlessly while proposing interesting garments. This could make for a large impact for the runway collections and generate clout for the less expensive lines.
Lanvin - ?
Moschino - ?
Mugler - Charlotte Knowles
Charlotte's work for KNWLS shows how she capable of recontextualising corsets and lingerie in modern day. That said despite her lingerie based beginnings, she has grown a large design vocabulary. Larger than Cadwaller's black dominant strechy insta-thot collections.
Oscar de la Renta - ?
Poiret - Sander Lak
As a disciple of Dries van Noten, I feel that Sander is more than capable of bringing Poiret colourist experimentation into today's context. His own work at the defunct Sies Marjan shows that he understands how texture and drape work to create a garment. Hopefully, he'll be better received under a big name in Paris than he did as a relatively new designer in New York.
Rochas - ?
Salvatore Ferragamo - Gabriela Hearst
Gabriela is a very classic designer, which will appeal to Ferragamo's customer base and her sustainability pursuits will work heavily in the house's favour
Schiaparelli - John Galliano
John Galliano's work at Dior and his defunct eponymous label prove that he's perfect for Schiaparelli's drama and camp. His work at Margiela shows that he's capable of designing for a customer. He'll probably also be at home since Schiaparelli isn't as harshly profit driven and is on a much smaller scale compared to Dior and Margiela.
Valentino - Christopher John Rogers
Christopher is more than capable of presenting glamour and drama, while his recent collections show that he's also capable of designing for the everyday woman. It's just a matter of whether he can work on a bigger scale.
Versace - Kim Jones
Yes, I can hear you screaming in pain again, but the Fendace (grimace) collaboration showed me that he had an understanding on how to modernize Gianni's codes. He also seems to have a larger menswear vocabulary than Donatella. It's just a matter of him not replying on collabs and allowing his own work to take center stage.
