Chanel has appointed Matthieu Blazy as its artistic director of the house’s fashion activities, responsible for all haute couture, ready-to-wear and accessories collections, the house announced on Thursday, putting an end to months of intense speculation. He will report to Bruno Pavlovsky, president of Chanel Fashion and Chanel SA.
Alain Wertheimer, global executive chairman, and Leena Nair, global CEO of Chanel, called the designer in a joint statement “one of the most gifted designers of his generation”. “His vision and talent will reinforce the energy of the brand and our position as a leader in luxury. Under Bruno Pavlovsky’s leadership, we are confident that Matthieu Blazy will continue to shape what’s next and write a new page in Chanel’s creation,” they said.
“I am convinced that he will be able to play with the codes and heritage of the house, through an ongoing dialogue with the studio, our ateliers, and our maisons d’art,” Pavlovsky said. “His audacious personality, his innovative and powerful approach to creation, as well as his dedication to craftsmanship and beautiful materials, will take Chanel in exciting new directions.”
Following the sudden departure of Virginie Viard from Chanel in June 2024, the job has remained vacant, culminating in an avalanche of rumours surrounding who would end up with what is arguably the most coveted job in fashion. In the past six months, designers from Hedi Slimane to Simon Porte Jacquemus were considered front runners.
Blazy, who joins from Bottega Veneta, has an impeccable track record, making him well suited to the role at Chanel, which involves designing 10 collections per year (two ready-to-wear, two couture, two pre-collections, one cruise, one Métiers d’art, plus Coco Beach and Coco Neige). The Paris-born, 40-year-old designer graduated from Brussels’s La Cambre in 2007 and has held designer stints at Raf Simons and Maison Margiela, where he earned his couture stripes designing the brand’s ‘Artisanal’ line and gained recognition for his work. In 2014, he became senior designer at Céline, under Phoebe Philo, before reuniting with Raf Simons at Calvin Klein as VP of design for womenswear and menswear from 2016 to 2019. In 2020, he became Daniel Lee’s right hand at Bottega Veneta as design director. After Lee’s sudden exit, he was appointed creative director in 2021 and presented his first collection for the Italian house in February 2022.
Under Blazy, Bottega Veneta became one of Milan’s hottest brands, with a strong focus on craftsmanship. The brand has proved particularly resilient in the luxury downturn. Sales were up 4 per cent in the first nine months of 2024 to €1.23 billion, making it the top-performing brand among Kering’s fashion houses. The Spring/Summer 2025 show was well received, with standouts including deliberately creased pieces, striped shirting, fluid all-leather paillette evening dress and more. Earlier on Thursday, Bottega Veneta announced that Louise Trotter would succeed him as creative director of the Italian house.
Chanel will be a much bigger test for the designer. The company’s revenues hit $19.7 billion in 2023, up 16 per cent year-on-year, making it the world’s second-largest luxury brand behind Louis Vuitton. (The fashion business, including bags, ready-to-wear and footwear, generated roughly $14 billion, according to estimates by HSBC managing director Erwan Rambourg.) The company, now led by CEO Leena Nair, has doubled revenues in the last decade and this appointment will play a key role in the next phase of growth — not to add to the pressure of earning the job.
“I am thrilled and honoured to join the wonderful house of Chanel. I look forward to meeting all the teams and writing this new chapter together,” Blazy said.
He will join the house in 2025.
Editor
Laure GuilbaultCredit
Lead Image: Hunter Abrams
