PARIS – Courrèges is parting ways with Nicolas Di Felice after a five-year tenure during which the Belgian designer put the Space Age label back on the map.

He celebrated the milestone at his fall 2026 show, which summarized the design codes he brought to the house, with a mix of edgy daywear and conceptual evening clothes inspired by the geometric designs of founder André Courrèges. 

Di Felice is stepping down to “focus on personal projects,” the house said in a statement Tuesday. His successor will be revealed next week, marking the latest installment in a seemingly never-ending round of creative director musical chairs. 

Courrèges, which is owned by French billionaire François Pinault’s family holding company Artémis, lauded the designer for bringing it back to the forefront of the fashion scene. 

“Under his direction, the house experienced a true renaissance, acclaimed by the critics, and established itself as a distinctive voice in the contemporary fashion landscape. Nicolas reinterpreted its iconic codes and created a true dialogue with a new generation,” it said.

“Courrèges is grateful for his unique contribution and extends its best wishes for his future projects,” it added.

Working in tandem with then-chief executive officer Adrien Da Maia, Di Felice repositioned the brand’s offering with sensual, gender-fluid takes on signature items like vinyl jackets, go-go boots and ribbed knits. He relaunched its fragrance line with new scents such as Slogan and Le Messager, and introduced accessories including the Hobo and Holy handbags. 

Together with deejay and producer Erwan Sene, who did all his soundtracks, and Rémy Brière, who designed his signature rectangular show sets, he positioned the label as a cultural entity, staging a series of popular club nights under the Club Courrèges banner.

Having spearheaded a retail expansion, Da Maia was replaced in 2024 by Marie Leblanc, the former CEO of Victoria Beckham, who has overseen a price repositioning of the line amid a global slowdown in luxury spending. 

“I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the group and especially to François Pinault and François-Henri Pinault for their trust,” Di Felice said. “I also want to truly thank all the teams and my friends, whose talent and dedication made this human and creative journey so meaningful.”

His next steps could not immediately be learned. 

A graduate of La Cambre fashion school in Brussels, Di Felice joined Nicolas Ghesquière’s team at Balenciaga in 2008, remaining at the brand for six years. After a brief stint at Dior under Raf Simons, he was reunited with Ghesquière at Louis Vuitton in 2015 until taking the Courrèges post in 2020.

Since then, Di Felice has worked on several music-related projects, from designing stage outfits for Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour to staging a pop-up with independent record store Dizonord in Paris. His designs have been worn by celebrities including Dua Lipa, Rosalía, Bella Hadid, Mikey Madison and Zoe Saldaña.