Chanel names Matthieu Blazy as new artistic director

French luxury brand Chanel on Thursday named former Bottega Veneta creative boss Matthieu Blazy as its new artistic director, one of the biggest jobs in fashion tasked with finally turning the page on the Karl Lagerfeld era.

Chanel confirmed the appointment shortly after Bottega Veneta announced that the 40-year-old Blazy was leaving the Italian firm to be replaced by British designer Louise Trotter. The Franco-Belgian Blazy had worked for Maison Margiela, Celine and Calvin Klein before joining Bottega Veneta in 2020 and quickly taking charge of its haute couture.

“Matthieu embodies a new generation with sincere humility and, in his approach to the brand and to clothes designing in general, with a huge respect and passion for the product,” Le Figaro newspaper quoted Chanel fashion president Bruno Pavlovsky as saying.

Chanel have been seeking a new creative chief since Virginie Viard, Lagerfeld’s longtime muse, announced her departure in June after five years in the job. Viard was seen as extending the legacy of the late Lagerfeld, having worked for 20 years alongside him during a period that defined the modern image of the LVMH-owned brand.

Chanel’s in-house designers have been in charge since Viard’s departure, presenting the Spring-Summer 2024-2025 collection at Paris Fashion Week in October. The group also hosted a lavish mega-show in Hangzhou, China, in early December featuring a floating runway over a lake, with guests including actress Tilda Swinton transported by barge to a floating stage.

French designer Simon Porte Jacquemus had been linked to the vacancy along with former Valentino artistic director Pierpaolo Piccioli and recently out-of-work Hedi Slimane.

Whimsy

Blazy is credited with updating Bottega Veneta’s signature intrecciato woven patterns. He updated its jewellery and perfume and gained a host of Hollywood fans, including Michelle Yeoh and Jennifer Lawrence. His final Spring-Summer collection was a whimsical ode to childhood. He also brought in new design collaborations with Italian designer Gaetano Pesce and furniture maker Cassina.

Blazy grew up in Paris, with a brief stint at a British boarding school, before studying fashion at La Cambre art school in Brussels. He was hired after graduation by Belgian designer Raf Simons, kickstarting a career that has seen him rapidly rise through major French and American labels.

Viard was handpicked by Lagerfeld before his death in 2019 and she was seen as a safe choice who helped increase sales while taking few artistic risks. Trotter moves from Carven to the Kering group-owned Bottega Veneta. She has also worked at Lacoste.

Blazy will be expected to give Chanel a new identity, while respecting the illustrious heritage of the house of Coco Chanel who opened her first boutique in 1912. Blazy must also steer the world’s second-biggest luxury clothes brand, with sales of nearly $20 billion last year, through a slowdown in the crucial Chinese market.