Lapidus enters this new role with a lot of work to do: He'll have to dust off the bodices, fire up the sewing machines, and trade the client dossiers for computers, programmers, and a really strong wi-fi connection. The designer is known for his openness to the tech world , and cultivating the idea of "e-couture." Currently, couture garments from his eponymous label are made-to-order within 12 weeks. On whether or not Lanvin will adopt a similar model, Lapidus says the digital side of the house is “an open field” — for now. "I think I am the first one to do this, but I will not be the last," he says. "I think it’s a natural evolution to integrate exactly what we have in the real world [into a brand], so, today it’s new, but I’m sure in five years, you will have a lot of luxury brands of the internet. This vision can be very useful to Lanvin."