After months of anticipation following Virginie Viard’s departure, Chanel has announced its new artistic director, Matthieu Blazy.
Matthieu Blazy. Photo: Instagram.com
Nearly six months after the announcement of Virginie Viard’s exit, Chanel has shared that Matthieu Blazy will be stepping in to take the creative reigns of the brand, snuffing out mass speculation and rumors about the biggest vacancy in fashion. French-Belgian designer Blazy, until a few minutes ago, was the creative director at Bottega Veneta, a role he took over from Daniel Lee in November 2021, while being promoted from his position as head of ready-to-wear.
As Chanel’s new artistic director, Blazy will join the brand in April 2025, and showcase his first collection for the fashion house in October 2025. After Viard left Chanel, the brand presented its Fall/Winter 2024-25 couture collection, which according to the house’s notes, had been designed by the Fashion Creation Studio.
Blazy was born in Paris in 1984, and is a graduate of La Cambre in Brussels, after which he started his fashion career as a menswear designer for Raf Simons. During his time at Bottega Veneta, Blazy has been widely acclaimed for his transformative vision for the Italian brand, and a focus on its history of craftsmanship.
The news of Viard stepping down from her role as artistic director of Chanel sent waves through the world of fashion. As the successor of late designer Karl Lagerfeld, Viard had helmed the storied French brand since 2019 and was only the third creative director in Chanel’s 114-year history.
“Chanel confirms the departure of Virginie Viard after a rich collaboration of five years as artistic director of fashion collections, during which she was able to renew the codes of the house while respecting the creative heritage of Chanel, and almost 30 years within the house,” read the house’s statement. “A new creative organization will be announced in due course. Chanel would like…
