Lanvin Appoints New CEO

Lanvin has announced that Barbara Werschine has been named as the company’s latest CEO, effective immediately.

Barbara most recently served as CEO at Bompard, where she “successfully modernised the brand and optimised its financial performance” over a four-year tenure, according to Lanvin.

Additionally, she has previously served as Director of Leather Goods Collections at Hermès and held key leadership and development roles at Zadig & Voltaire, Celine and Louis Vuitton. 

In total, she brings more than 20 years of experience in the luxury goods sector to the CEO position.

Barbara succeeds Andy Lew, who has served as Lanvin’s CEO since July 2025, and takes over responsibilities previously handled by Siddhartha Shukla, who stepped down in March as Deputy CEO following a strategy to elevate the positioning of Paris’s oldest haute couture house.

Aligning brand continuity strategies

In an interview with Women’s Wear Daily (WWD), Barbara vowed to drive brand continuity  – where she will work with Artistic Director Peter Copping to reinforce Lanvin’s position as an acclaimed luxury goods house – while also divulging plans to re-enter the homewares category in the near future.

“People want to go back to elegance and formalwear and Lanvin is very accurate for that,” she said. “I’m French, and Parisian, so I’m deeply attached to this brand. It’s part of our culture.

“I’m very aligned with what Peter Copping has been doing so far at the house,” Barbara added, describing his fall 2026 women’s show as “a key milestone in the revival of the brand,” which is rooted in women’s ready-to-wear and leather goods.

Meanwhile, Lanvin lauds Barbara’s “extensive expertise and a distinguished track record in the luxury industry,” and says she would be in charge of “steering the brand’s global strategy, accelerating its development, and strengthening Lanvin’s positioning on the international stage.

“The strategic roadmap also includes expanding the menswear range and developing cohesive brand extensions, notably in the home and lifestyle universe, thereby reconnecting with Lanvin’s historic lifestyle heritage,” the brand said in a statement to WWD.

Achieving growth in global markets

Discussing Barbara’s appointment, Andy praises her “vision of the luxury market and deep understanding of our industry’s challenges” as “major assets in guiding Lanvin through its next phase of growth, while honouring the unique identity of this iconic house”.

Andy will now act as the company’s Executive Chairman for Lanvin Group, overseeing a portfolio of brands that includes Lanvin, Wolford, Sergio Rossi and St. John Knits.

In 2025, revenues at Lanvin Group fell 18% to €240m (US$279.8m), reflecting a strategic reset that saw the company closing 51 stores last year.

Barbara says that her first point of order as CEO will be to strengthen Lanvin’s core markets in France and Europe, with additional plans to rebuild desirability and creating organic momentum ahead of future expansion in the US and Asia.

Additionally, she plans to “develop consistent brand extensions,” saying that her mission is to “sustainably rebuild the house’s desirability and core fundamentals. 

Barbara adds: “I am convinced that Lanvin possesses all the assets needed to achieve a new milestone in its growth and strengthen its footprint across key luxury markets”.