Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia depart Oscar de la Renta

Co-creative directors Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia have announced their departure from Oscar de la Renta to focus on the development of their own ready-to-wear label, Monse.

Since 2016, Kim and Garcia have been co-creative directors at Oscar de la Renta. The privately held company is owned by the de la Renta family and led by Alex Bolen. They took on this role two years after the death of the eponymous founder, replacing Peter Copping, who is now at Lanvin.

According to Puck magazine, Oscar de la Renta employees were informed of this change on the afternoon of Wednesday, September 17. As part of the transition, Kim and Garcia, who are shareholders in ODLR, will be granted a seat on the company's board of directors. Their autumn/winter 2025/2026 collection will be released in February 2026.

Monse, a high-end brand that collaborates with Shein

Founded in 2015, Monse is an independent premium brand based in New York. The brand is known for deconstructing classic pieces. It draws inspiration from menswear, with offerings of deconstructed and openwork tailoring and shirts. It also features flowing, form-fitting dresses.

Monse presented its spring/summer 2026 collection on September 14, 2025, at New York Fashion Week. For the occasion, the duo expanded their offering to include leather bustiers and workwear pieces. The show was presented against a backdrop of artwork loaned by collectors.

Shein X, Shein's programme that collaborates with independent designers, launched an exclusive collection with Monse on July 10, 2024. Kim and Garcia led the design and also mentored five independent designers to create part of the collection.

At a time when the Shein X Pimkie partnership is causing controversy in France, Americans seem less concerned about associating a so-called "luxury" brand with an ultra fast fashion brand.