Oscar de la Renta Hires Nina Ricci's Peter Copping As Creative Director

Peter Copping, artistic director of Nina Ricci, has been named creative director of Oscar de la Renta. According to WWD, the American fashion house announced Monday that Copping "will set the design direction across all product categories," reporting both to Mr. De la Renta and CEO Alex Bolen. He will officially start work on November 3 and present his first collection in February, "working closely with Mr. Oscar de la Renta."

In July, Fashionista heard from two sources that Copping was already working in De la Renta's studio. Two weeks ago, Nina Ricci revealed that it had hired Carven's Guillaume Henry, as its new artistic director, leading the way for Oscar de la Renta's announcement.

Copping served as the artistic director of Nina Ricci for five years, following Olivier Theyskens's departure in 2009. Previously, the 47-year-old British designer spent 12 years at Louis Vuitton, serving as Marc Jacobs' first assistant there and helping launch the brand's ready-to-wear line. He is a graduate of the Royal College of Art and Central Saint Martins in London.

De la Renta, 82, has been searching for a successor for some months. According to one source, an offer was made to John Galliano, formerly the creative director of Dior, earlier this year, but Galliano turned it down for financial reasons. There was also speculation that Theyskens or Prabal Gurung would be hired to fill the role.

"I'm very happy Peter has agreed to join us," Mr. De la Renta said in a statement. "He is a great talent and along with our shared design sensibilities, we both have a deep curiosity about the wider world, from music and art to architecture and gardens. Our industry has not always done the best job when it comes to changes in design leadership. My hope is that, in leading this selection, and actively participating in the transition, I can insure the right design future for our company and brand."