Biography
In July 2017, it was confirmed Bouchra Jarrar would leave her role as artistic director at Lanvin after just 16 months at the helm. Jarrar was appointed artistic director in March 2016 after the controversial departure of Alber Elbaz in October 2015, who had led the brand for fourteen years. However, the troubled house had suffered from falling revenues amidst a lack of investment since the days of her predecessor, and Jarrar had been unable to single-handedly revive the brand.
Known for producing elegant, fifties and sixties-inspired contemporary designs, she brought a wealth of experience to the prestigious Lanvin role, from her own couture house and stints at Balenciaga and Lacroix Haute Couture.
Born to Moroccan parents in Cannes, Jarrar graduated from Paris’s Duperré School of Applied Arts in 1994. Over the next decade, she honed her skills at a broad range of brands including Jean Paul Gaultier ’s jewellery department and Balenciaga, where she arrived in 1996 and, after being promoted by creative director Nicolas Ghesquiere, served as studio director until 2006.
She left in 2006 to helm Lacroix Haute Couture for three years, before launching her eponymous haute couture house in 2010, which offers both high-end ready-to-wear and custom-made garments for couture clients. In 2013, she was awarded the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture appellation.
In the week preceding her departure from Lanvin, the couturier was made an Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters, one of France’s highest honours.
After taking time to be with friends and family and trying her hand at new pursuits, namely portrait photography, Jarrar returned to Haute Couture week in July 2019 from behind the lens. Her first photography exhibition "Libertés," opened in Paris's Marais district.