One of the prestigious roles in international trend has simply been stuffed, as Chanel appointed Franco-Belgian designer Matthieu Blazy as its new creative director, the style home introduced Thursday.
The 40-year-old will oversee all collections for the world’s second greatest luxurious model beginning in 2025, changing Virginie Viard, who parted ways with the house earlier this year.
Blazy arrives with a repute for innovation and craftsmanship, honed by stints at Raf Simons, Maison Margiela and Céline underneath Phoebe Philo. Most just lately, he was artistic director at Bottega Veneta.
Chanel President Bruno Pavlovsky praised his “audacious” and “highly effective” method, including that Blazy would “play with the codes and heritage of the Home” to take it in “thrilling new instructions.”
“I’m thrilled and honored,” stated Blazy.
Critics have famous that Blazy’s comparatively younger age suggests Chanel could also be positioning him for a protracted tenure, akin to the 36 years Karl Lagerfeld spent on the helm. His appointment marks solely the fourth designer in Chanel’s over 100-year historical past to guide the home, following Lagerfeld, Viard, and founder Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel.
Viard, who succeeded Lagerfeld after his demise in 2019, left earlier this 12 months after greater than three many years with the model — an abrupt departure, introduced in the midst of the night time simply weeks earlier than the couture present.
For a home recognized for meticulous picture execution, the announcement felt unusually unpolished. Later, it was revealed that Viard wouldn’t oversee her closing couture presentation, along with her workforce stepping in to deal with the gathering.
Throughout her tenure, Viard achieved file gross sales for Chanel, reaching US$19.7 billion final 12 months. However her time was not with out controversy. Critics typically cited her collections as missing the theatrical aptitude of Lagerfeld’s period, and backlash to a poorly obtained mid-season present in Marseille added strain. Her appointment was initially considered as momentary.
Critics say that Blazy’s arrival alerts a brand new chapter for Chanel, mixing heritage with modernity as the home appears to the long run.
Chanel’s International Govt Chairman Alain Wertheimer and CEO Leena Nair described Blazy as “one of the gifted designers of his era.”
