Copping cut his teeth with Sonia Rykiel
Copping cut his teeth with Sonia Rykiel AFP

Historic French fashion label Lanvin has named Britain's Peter Copping, who has worked with Nina Ricci, Oscar de la Renta, Balenciaga and Louis Vuitton, as its new artistic director.

Copping will take over men's and women's collections from September, the fashion house announced on Thursday.

Lanvin, the oldest active French fashion house, announced in spring 2023 that it would focus on leather goods and accessories.

The house then separated from its artistic director Bruno Sialelli, who was not replaced for more than a year.

Copping, born in 1967, worked with Nina Ricci (2009-2014) and Oscar de la Renta in New York (2014-2016).

He trained at Central Saint Martins in London and cut his teeth with Sonia Rykiel. Copping then worked for a decade at Louis Vuitton alongside Marc Jacobs as head of women's fashion.

In New York, de la Renta personally chose Copping as his successor before his death in October 2014.

Copping worked in recent years for Balenciaga, where he was responsible for special projects and VIPs.

In a statement he said he was "extremely honoured... to write the next chapter for this iconic House" that was founded in 1889 by Jeanne Lanvin.

The label said it was part of a "transformation initiated over the past two years" to reframe Lanvin in contemporary culture with a sense of "radical chic and French sophistication".