Hermes announced on Monday that designer Christophe Lemaire is departing later this year in order to further work on his own fashion label.
Lemaire, who has been the women's ready-to-wear artistic director for four years, but will leave in the fall, with the Spring-Summer 2015 collection his final one with the French company, the AFP reports.
"Working for Hermes has been a great pleasure: a profoundly enriching experience on both a human and professional level," Lemaire said in a statement. "I am proud of what we have built together."
He explained that his own label is experiencing growth and now requires his full attention, necessitating his departure from Hermes.
No replacement has been announced yet, according to Reuters, but analysts noted the fashion label likely isn't worried.
"Hermes has got strong heritage and an image of timeless elegance that is quite independent from the designer," analyst Mario Ortelli, of Bernstein, said.
Lemaire originally took over the artistic director post in 2010 after Jean Paul Gaultier's death.
The fashion designer is the second one is as many years to depart in order to more fully develop their own brand. In 2013, LVMH's Louis Vuitton saw the departure of Marc Jacbos.
image courtesy of INFPhoto