Marc Jacobs
Jacobs was the first name to be seriously and consistently floated and he seemed like a shoe-in, back in August. WWD reported that LVMH was in talks with Jacobs to take the helm at Dior, and Pheobe Philo would then replace the designer at Louis Vuitton. With more, separate “insider” sources confirming the rumors–and with the support of industry players like Carine Roitfeld–Jacobs’ appointment to Dior seemed almost like a done deal. But then things went south when reports surfaced that negotiations between the designer and LVMH had gotten prickly–Jacobs reportedly asked for an “eight figure salary” and demanded that his entire design team join him at his new position. The situation was complicated by the fact that Phoebe Philo was reportedly unwilling to take the helm at Louis Vuitton, and in November we reported that Jacobs had indeed turned down the job. But it wasn’t until January–almost six months since the rumor began–that Jacobs officially made a statement, confirming he was not going to go to Dior. Case closed.