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Fashion’s most-wanted vacancy is now filled: Following Virginie Viard’s unexpected departure from Chanel in June, the French Maison has named Matthieu Blazy as its new “artistic director of fashion activities,” with his responsibilities including haute couture, ready-to-wear and accessories.
“I am thrilled and honored to join the wonderful House of Chanel. I look forward to meeting all the teams and writing this new chapter together,” Blazy said in a press statement.
In November, rumors and unconfirmed reports bubbled up that Chanel was courting the French-Belgian designer for the coveted role. Other contenders allegedly included Pieter Mulier, Pierpaolo Piccioli, Jeremy Scott and Marc Jacobs, according to WWD.
“I am delighted to welcome Matthieu Blazy,” Bruno Pavlovsky, president of Chanel Fashion and Chanel SAS, said in a statement. “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. 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.”
Blazy certainly brings a strong resume to back up his new appointment: A graduate of Brussels’ La Cambre, he got his start as a men’s designer for Raf Simons in 2007, followed by working at Maison Margiela on its couture line, Artisanal. In 2014, he joined Phoebe Philo-era Celine as a senior designer, and then later reunited with Raf Simons in 2016 at Calvin Klein. But he’s best known for his four-year stint at Bottega Veneta – three as creative director. His departure from the brand was also announced Thursday.
Blazy had a steady run at the Kering-owned house: He benefited from former creative director Daniel Lee‘s highly profitable reinvention of the luxury label and has kept revenue consistent over the past four years. Aesthetic-wise, he showed a penchant for understated, detail-oriented craftsmanship with many critically acclaimed collections and paparazzi-inspired campaigns starring the likes of Kendall Jenner and A$AP Rocky.
Now, the fashion world is curious how that will translate into the Chanel world. He has big shoes to fill: For all the mixed opinions on Viard’s work, the House reportedly saw double-digit year-over-year profit increases under her leadership. It will be expected of Blazy to maintain that momentum while infusing new creative energy. He will make his runway debut for Chanel in October of 2025 during Paris Fashion Week, according to The New York Times.
As for where this leaves Bottega Veneta, the brand has named Carven’s former creative director Louise Trotter as Lee’s successor. She will begin her role at the end of January 2025.
Source: Fashionista.com
