At last, Lanvin has appointed an official artistic director to head up its womenswear collections, following Alber Elbaz’s shocking departure last year from the house. On Friday morning, it was announced that Bouchra Jarrar will assume the role, starting on Monday.

But who is Jarrar, and what does her appointment mean? It is firstly, a distinctly unusual appointment not least because she is a woman — the lack of female creative directors at fashion houses is remarkable, but the number gets even slimmer when looking at French ateliers — and is certainly a nod to its founder, Jeanne Lanvin, who launched the brand more than a century ago.