The Tamesis
Courrèges opens a new chapter with Drew Henry as artistic director. The 38-year-old South African-born designer joins from Burberry, where he served as senior design director under Daniel Lee from 2023.
Artémis is the holding company of the Pinault family, which controls the Kering group and in 2018 took full control of Courrèges. The company announced Henry’s appointment today, a week after Belgian designer Nicolas di Felice exited the company “to focus on personal projects”. Henry will officially start working at Cooley Day in May 2026.
Henry graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2014 and 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,” Artemis chairman François-Henri Pinault said in a statement. “His experience and understanding of today’s fashion landscape make him well-positioned to lead the next phase of Courrèges.”
The appointment highlights Phoebe Philo’s continued influence. Her Céline studio has proven to be a hotbed of design talent. She worked with designers who would later come to prominence, including Lee, Matthieu Blazy and Michael Rider, and to a lesser extent Peter Do and Rok Hwang.
Henry himself worked at Céline, first as an intern while studying at CSM, and after graduation he joined Philo’s design team. After a spell at JW Anderson, he reunited with Philo in 2020, when he was hired as head of design to launch her eponymous brand.
Marie Leblanc, CEO of Courrèges, said: “His creative talent and contemporary culture make him a perfect fit for the brand. Together, we are committed to accelerating its international expansion and expanding its global reach, while maintaining the brand’s French heritage.”
Henry added: “André Courrèges believed that clothes had meaning for people’s lifestyles. This is important to me. I have always been attracted to pieces that are modern, practical and direct. Joining this iconic French brand, I feel a responsibility to present my own point of view while respecting its history. I am grateful to François-Henri Pinault and Marie Leblanc for their trust and I am excited to shape an optimistic, clear and down-to-earth vision for the brand.”
After years of instability, the brand founded in 1961 by André Courrèges and his wife Coqueline has regained momentum under the leadership of di Felice, as well as former CEO Adrien Da Maia and current CEO Marie Leblanc.
Still, Courrèges is not immune to the broader challenges facing the luxury industry. Henry also took over as creative director of Courrèges at a time when the reshuffle in the fashion industry is coming to an end, and many leading brands are welcoming new designers. All eyes will be on his debut show at Paris Fashion Week in September.
