Matthieu Blazy confirmed as next Chanel Artistic Director

After much speculation, Matthieu Blazy has been confirmed as the next Artistic Director of Chanel, marking the first external appointment to the role since Karl Lagerfeld was employed to revamp the brand in 1983. 

Alain Wertheimer, Global Executive Chairman, and Leena Nair, Global CEO of Chanel, called the designer in a joint statement today “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.

After Virginie Viard's exit from the role in June, Blazy's name had been on the industry's lips as her replacement. The French-Belgian designer served as Creative Director for Bottega Veneta since 2021, following the sudden exit of now-Burberry Creative Director Daniel Lee. Carven Creative Director Louise Trotter was announced as his successor at the Italian luxury house earlier today.

Blazy’s appointment at Chanel succeeds Viard’s five-year tenure as creative director, a role she assumed following Karl Lagerfeld’s passing in 2019. Since Viard’s departure was announced, speculation has been rife in the fashion industry about her successor. Names such as Hedi Slimane, John Galliano, and Simon Porte Jacquemus were frequently mentioned, while Marc Jacobs openly expressed his interest in the position.

Blazy takes the helm at Chanel at a difficult time for the luxury sector. Established in 1910 by milliner and entrepreneur Coco Chanel, has demonstrated strong resilience during the economic downturn. While consumer weakness has slowed growth in China and intensified competition for customer loyalty, Chanel’s revenues increased by 16 per cent year-on-year, reaching $19.7 billion (£15.5 billion)  in 2023.

Blazy joined Bottega Veneta in 2020 as Design Director, before taking the reins as Creative Director a year later. Blazy's Bottega is a resilient one, being Kering's top performing fashion brand amid a luxury slowdown. Sales were up 4 per cent in the first nine months of 2024 to €1.23 billion (£1 billion).