has announced this morning that Christophe Lemaire is stepping down from his post as artistic director.

Lemaire, who has headed up the label’s design team since he replaced Jean Paul Gaultier in June 2010, is leaving to concentrate on his eponymous label. In a statement he says, ‘Working for Hermès has been a great pleasure: a profoundly enriching experience on both a human and professional level. I am proud of what we have built together. My own label is growing in an important way and I now really want and need to dedicate myself to it fully.’

The split won’t be immediate; Lemaire will continue to work on the Hermès s/s 2015 collection but the Paris Fashion Week show on 1 October will be his last day at work on the label. Which gives the fashion house three months to find a replacement. We can hear the rumours swirling already.