Thanks to this year’s creative director mass exodus, in 2025, eight designers will debut initial runway shows at the industry’s buzziest fashion houses. Some of the most surprising appointments so far? Julian Krausler at Dries Van Noten; Michael Rider at Celine; Sarah Burton at Givenchy; and Haider Ackermann at Tom Ford. With that said, as the Fall/Winter 2025 runway circuit swiftly approaches, style enthusiasts can’t help but wonder, Who will take over at Chanel? Well, on Dec. 12 (nearly seven months after Virginie Viard’s shocking departure) the million dollar question was finally answered: Chanel’s new creative director is Matthieu Blazy — the revered artistic designer at Bottega Veneta since November 2021.
Around lunchtime on Thursday, Blazy was officially handed the reigns at Chanel — according to a press release from the atelier. “Matthieu became an obvious choice for the brand as we came to understand his talent, his personality, his groundedness, his culture,” Chanel’s fashion president Bruno Pavlovsky told Business of Fashion in an interview ahead of the announcement. “The interview process was truly inspiring as we grew to know him: his vision for creation, his modernity, his respect for and commitment to products, and the women who surround and inspire him.”
In the official statement, Chanel confirmed Blazy’s start date as April 2025, ahead of a debut collection slated for next September. So, the esteemed creative has plenty of time to prepare his initial line. “We didn’t choose Matthieu to just ‘do Chanel,’ we chose him so he could push the boundaries of what Chanel is, for the future,” Pavlovsky told Bof. “He will bring his modernity, his way of working — Chanel is ready to let itself be transported.”
If you keep tabs on the style circuit, you know the rumor mill has been in overdrive around Viard’s replacement. Given Blazy was signed to Bottega Veneta until Dec. 12, fans assumed he wasn’t in the running. Instead, Marc Jacobs, Burton, Pierpaolo Piccoli, Phoebe Philo, and Hedi Slimane were presumably being considered — a.k.a. some of the most notable names in fashion. But at the end of the day, Blazy left Bottega Veneta after four successful years and secured the covetable spot.
In case you didn’t know, the French-Belgian designer got his start at the La Cambre fashion school in Brussels — the same university that produced Klausner, Dries Van Noten’s new creative director. After internships at Balenciaga and John Galliano, he was hired as men’s designer at Raf Simons in 2007 (just a few months post-graduation). By 2011, Blazy joined the then-anonymous design team at Maison Margiela and fronted the 'Artisanal' line and the Women's RTW show. In the 2010s, he jumped from Phoebe Philo’s Celine to Calvin Klein, before he reached Bottega Veneta in 2021. During his four-year reign at the Italian label, he was closely involved in the creative process of every collection, runway show, and campaign. Over the past year, Blazy’s gone viral for each presentation, including the Spring 2025 show’s multi-color prints, Fall 2025’s eccentric outerwear, and Spring 2024’s layered monochrome.
As with any industry giant, Blazy’s connection to the celebrity set is just as impressive as his designs. In just three years at Bottega Veneta, he’s collaborated with Jennifer Lawrence, Ayo Edebiri, Zendaya, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, Michelle Yeoh, and Dakota Johnson (just to name a few). Some of Blazy’s most memorable red carpet features happened this year. Last month, at the 2024 Governors Awards, J.Law delivered an unforgettable step-and-repeat in a custom baby bump-hugging Bottega Veneta gown, complete with a high-neck and ruching at the hip. Earlier in the year, the label also made waves on the press tour front thanks to actors like Edebiri and Zendaya. At the Inside Out 2 premiere in June, The Bear star stunned in a turquoise three-piece suit, which spotlighted knee-length long shorts. A few months earlier, Zendaya made her grand entrance at the Dune: Part Two Mexico premiere in a long-sleeve cropped turtleneck and a matching maxi skirt, both from Bottega Veneta.
All this to say? Blazy is more than qualified to take his talents to Chanel. So, mark your calendar for his first Chanel show in Sept. 2025.
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