In my opinion, the smartest idea from a business perspective for who to replace Virgil for the time being would be.... lots of people. Any single person tasked with the job is going to be subject to unfair scrutiny and comparison that would have little to do with the actual quality of their work. Instead, get an anonymous group to keep things together behind-the-scenes and bring in guest creative directors to oversee a collection. A never ending collab of LV x whomever. If a season flops, no bother because you've got, in the public's eye, a fresh start just a few months down the road and a whole new opportunity to build hype. This method would ensure that everything feels limited and exclusive, and it would remove the risk involved in handing over the reigns to someone who would create buzz but who might have other commitments and/or not be ready to be entrusted with the brand long term. In the process, you can see who works well with the team, who sells well, etc. You can also please a wider range of consumers, people drawn to Telfar, or Ackermann, or Jonathan Anderson, or James Jebbia, etc. I dunno, I'm spitballing and I'm not sure that would set a good precedent, but given LV's goals, I feel it's a move that would be kind of... of the moment. And just good business, short-term.
