Drew Henry takes over Courrèges — another alumnus of the Phoebe Philo studio
Philo-era Céline has turned out to be modern fashion’s great talent factory: Daniel Lee, Matthieu Blazy and Michael Rider all came out of it. Now Drew Henry.
Courrèges is beginning a new chapter with Drew Henry as artistic director. The 38-year-old South African-born designer arrives from Burberry, where he had been senior design director under Daniel Lee since 2023.
The appointment was announced by Artémis, the Pinault family holding company that controls Kering and took Courrèges fully under its wing in 2018. The news came a week after the departure of Belgian designer Nicolas Di Felice, who explained the move as a wish to “focus on personal projects”. Henry formally starts in May 2026.
A 2014 graduate of Central Saint Martins, he has worked behind the scenes at Céline, JW Anderson, Phoebe Philo and Burberry. “Drew Henry is a strong creative talent with a clear point of view,” said Artémis chairman François-Henri Pinault. “His experience and his understanding of today’s fashion landscape make him the right figure to lead the next stage of Courrèges.”
The appointment is another reminder of how long Phoebe Philo’s influence has run. Her studio at Céline turned out to be a genuine talent factory: the designers who worked alongside her went on to lead the biggest houses — Daniel Lee, Matthieu Blazy, Michael Rider, as well as Peter Do and Rok Hwang. Henry himself joined Céline first as an intern, while still a student, then entered Philo’s design team after graduating. Following an interlude at JW Anderson he rejoined Philo in 2020, hired as head of design for the launch of her eponymous brand.
“His creative talent and contemporary culture make him ideal for the house,” says Courrèges chief executive Marie Leblanc. “Together we intend to accelerate the international expansion and widen the global reach, while staying true to the brand’s French heritage.”
“André Courrèges believed in clothes that make sense for the way people live. That matters to me,” Henry said. “I have always been drawn to work that feels modern, useful and direct. Joining this iconic French house, I feel a great responsibility to honour its history while bringing my own point of view.”
The house, founded by André Courrèges and his wife Coqueline in 1961, gained momentum under Di Felice after many years of instability, alongside former chief executive Adrien Da Maia and the current one, Marie Leblanc. But Courrèges is no better protected than anyone else from luxury’s wider problems. Henry takes creative charge towards the end of a vast reshuffle that has brought new designers to almost every leading house. His runway debut is set for Paris Fashion Week in September.