Felipe Oliveira Baptista

Felipe Oliveira Baptista moves like a quiet storm through the fashion world—you might not see him coming, but you certainly feel the shift when he arrives. Since his early days after graduating from Kingston University in 1997, the Portuguese designer has made his mark across different fashion houses, from Max Mara to Christophe Lemaire and Cerruti, always crafting his narrative in an understated yet impactful way. The real turning point, though, came in 2003 when he won both the Hyères International Fashion and Photography Festival and the ANDAM/LVMH fashion awards. Those accolades didn’t just give him recognition; they gave him license to create his own space in the industry.

By 2010, Baptista took the reins at Lacoste, where he managed to redefine the brand without severing its ties to heritage. His approach was to celebrate the brand’s sportswear DNA while injecting a dose of modern minimalism—a strategy that worked well for nearly a decade. When he stepped down from Lacoste in May 2018, he left behind a revitalized label that had caught the attention of both the faithful and the new guard.

In July 2019, Kenzo tapped Baptista to replace the outgoing Humberto Leon and Carol Lim, signaling a new chapter for the LVMH-owned label. His aesthetic, somewhere between utilitarian ease and poetic restraint, has given Kenzo a different, introspective voice, a departure from the bold, streetwear-inflected energy of his predecessors. He’s focused on creating clothes that speak to the world we live in now—without the drama, but with a quietly confident sensibility. Baptista’s Kenzo is not about flashy statements; it’s about connection, authenticity, and moving forward in a real, meaningful way.