Discussion: Who Should Be The Creative Director of Chanel?

[Lola701]

And to add something, the bar is so low in terms of fashion proposition anyway from the top brands (except for Vuitton womenswear) that Jacquemus may just approach Chanel like a curator.
Beyond Coco’s archives, they literally have 36 years of archives. He can hide himself behind it.

 

[PDFSD]

As far as we know, she left. She's the one who had enough of Chanel's sh*t, Leena Nair being the main culprit here.
Jacquemus has no technical skills and limited imagination, but he may have a clearer vision and better ideas, for marketing for instance. And anyways I doubt the RTW sells anyways, I really don't trust the authenticity of Chanel figures.

not that it tells all but you see many youtube and ig fashion girls/women get constantly Chanel RTW with the many drop they have as well.

it's very consistent and commercial

 

[lookatme]

And to add something, the bar is so low in terms of fashion proposition anyway from the top brands (except for Vuitton womenswear) that Jacquemus may just approach Chanel like a curator.
Beyond Coco’s archives, they literally have 36 years of archives. He can hide himself behind it.

True…the bar is so low.

I’m not even sure why I still care? This is not my industry anymore.

 

[Creative]

True…the bar is so low.

I’m not even sure why I still care? This is not my industry anymore.

Indeed… fashion lost it all. Phoebe Philo leaving Céline was the nail in the coffin.

It’s just meaningless, “techniqueless” and passionless.

I do think their RTW sells. Not a lot, but if you are certain level rich you kind of wear Chanel by obligation. It’s like the Cartier bracelet for the poor. I’ve seen clients getting over 40K just one day of shopping at Chanel, this kind of clients exists and Chanel has the aura, the prestige and the story-telling to be able to sell.

It’s just a little bit sad for me to see my all time beloved favorite brand (even if I found it super tacky and ugly sometimes under Karl) to imagine it in the hands of a trainwreck like Jacquemus. It just feels wrong, but at the same time there’s nobody else aside from Hedi, and we all know they don’t want him because Bruno said it. Anyways, Hedi has the grandeur and the aura for Chanel. He is a total diva and a living legend, pretty much like Karl. It’s true he’s maybe too much of a diva for Chanel, cause there you need to play the game. Karl was a little bit more down to earth (just not this earth like he said🥹) and “humble”, meaning by humble that he wanted to play the fashion game with journalists and the public in general.

The fact that the next designer will probably be someone that posts his tacky and cringy wedding on his Instsgram like if he was “Chiaro” Ferragni and that has a soft spot for the basic b*tch Manu Rios from Elite kinds breaks my heart.

Sad times for fashion.

 

[jeanclaude]

If he is finally hired, I´ll call him "Le Chanelito"...

 

[lowfive1715]

My friend was a buyer for Chanel for six years, and trust me the rtw sells. It’s the epitome of being ultra wealthy or at least pretending to be.

 

[Norden]

If they’re looking for a storyteller and vibe curator he’s their man. Maybe he’ll flourish with those ateliers, we haven’t seen him work with these kind of resources before. It’s quite a safe and logical choice for them.

 

[louis]

I hate when a fashion writer has the boldness to say « but it wasn’t about the clothes ». It’s maybe not the sensationalist part but it’s is always about the clothes. Without the clothes, there’s no show.
If Virginie’s work was controversial, it’s precisely because of the clothes. Maybe Karl allowed us to look at everything around but it’s still about the clothes.

As for Jacquemus taking over Chanel. I’m not ok with the idea but I’m not against it weirdly.
I’m more against Hedi taking over than Jacquemus taking over.

But tbh, it would be a coup. It will generate buzz, elevate Simon’s cachet and he is a great story-teller and gifted with the marketing eye.

Chanel could be for Simon what Loewe was to JWA. I think JWA revealed himself and elevated his whole aesthetic with Loewe.

There are so many houses without CD now that I just want an announcement and most of all, I want to see the clothes.

Lola, why so much hate and sense of disapproval on Hedi Slimane?🙁

 

[Lola701]

Lola, why so much hate and sense of disapproval on Hedi Slimane?🙁

I love Hedi. I think he is fantastic menswear designer and a great Art Director. I appreciate his standards and his sense of branding…

But in terms of fashion, womenswear, no.
Contrary to a lot of people it seems, what I loved the most about Karl’s Chanel were his clothes. And it was the same about his work for Fendi, Chloe and (sometimes when he wasn’t lazy) his own house.
What I’m the least impressed by concerning Mr Slimane is his clothes.

I don’t know how many people will try to flip this over and over but jeans and blazers + mini dresses or prairie dresses, even presented in the slickest way, with insane production will always look banal to me. And there’s a sense of « creation » in the intention of designing clothes that I don’t find in Slimane.

I bought clothes from Celine by Slimane…And it was a menswear look.
On that menswear show where the look caught my eyes, the look was bold enough for a man to wear it and nice enough for a woman to appropriate it.

I must say that Hedi Slimane is probably my biggest disappointment ever in womenswear. For years, since I first started working in fashion, people talked about his genius and how he would do amazing things as a womenswear designer and all and all…When I saw that first Saint Laurent SS13 show and everything we have been blessed for a decade, I feel cheated.

 

[Creative]

^ Fair enough, I kind of agree too, even if I adore him. I think he is more of a product and image designer.

And I can get why the Wertheirmers/Bruno don’t want him. He has been in 3 maisons and the store layout has been kind of the same, with little changes. The clothing has been pretty simple even if very desirable. It’s true that maybe Chanel, with so many collections per year, needs a little bit more fun…

I also think it could get old very quickly, like YSL by Vaccarello, because it’s the same all the time. I heard corporate people working at Kering complaining about the monotones and the same products being offered to the clients. With Celine I’m afraid that it’s kind of the same now.

 

[WinstonH20]

As usual, I'm in two minds about the Jacquemus rumour.

On the one hand, I have no problems with Simon being a content creator at his own brand, and his success is admirable from that perspective. BUT I'm afraid that for him to go from that to helming arguably the most prestigious fashion house in the world would have a chilling effect on the industry and its attitude toward technique and genuine creativity. With an appointment like that, I guess it would be true, that fashion was never really about the clothes to begin with? Simon is a great social media influencer and content creator, but that's all. In fact I would argue that his design quality has regressed in the past 4 years and for him to take over such a prestigious brand would really signal the death of actual fashion in the fashion conversation. From now on, it would only be about the show locations, the cast and the ridiculously viral closing looks. Vibes rather than cut. Perhaps that's already the case and I'm living in a nostalgia bubble?

On the other hand, as much as I would love them to pick an unknown from the atelier, I feel like Chanel needs a 'star' after Virginie's drab faceless years and I suppose Simon would fit the bill in that sense. Although the fact that a content creator obsessed with Manu Rios, the beach and selfies is considered a fashion 'star' in our times says something about the era we live in. I've never been convinced by his vision or world, I find it like a basic influencer's vision of fashion and 'creativity' but it's consistent and the masses seem to approve. He could definitely create viral moments with his Chanel and like @Lola701 said, Chanel could be what Loewe was to Jonathan Anderson. The anticipation each season would be through the roof.

Side note, if this appointment actually comes to fruition, I would love to know what the other designers in contention would make of it? Oh, to be a fly on the wall!

 

[tricotineacetat]

Chanel could be for Simon what Loewe was to JWA. I think JWA revealed himself and elevated his whole aesthetic with Loewe.

Precisely the thing I would dread to happen - More of this generation of designers validating the notion that you no longer need to be first and foremost a couturier (I like this word better as it precisely sums up a dedication to the highest degree of design and craftsmanship) than an image director and marketeer - Especially when it comes to designing for one of the most historic Haute Couture maisons!

JWA was the first Londoner to really make it an acceptable standard that you can run a business with subpar design and Jacquemus is his Parisian brother-in-arms. I have no love for either one of them and will never understand what people find aspirational about them!

 

[tricotineacetat]

Honestly I wouldn’t mind Chanel remaining more a provider of timeless, sartorial elegance than a brand building on the cheeky, ‘pop’ aspects of Lagerfeld’s late career. Chanel’s esteem as the gold standard in couture should have a designer at the helm who stands firmly for the joy of formal dressing and has the ehe for tailoring and dressmaking to merit the access to such resources.

I think we can safely say that Jacquemus is very much the opposite of all that.

 

[yslforever]

, I guess it would be true, that fashion was never really about the clothes to begin with?

Fashion is barely about the clothes themselves, it's a social construct enabling people to project and present themselves socially, culturally, economically and psychologically... especially with branded fashion.
The ethos of each brand helps that projection and representation.

 

[ghostwriter10549]

Look, screw it, I love the idea! Simon is a savvy business gay, he was able to establish himself in this industry for a reason. He can curate, design, and create interesting things again at Chanel. He can make it big in every aspect, and with the resources of a house like Chanel, he can take it to new heights and beyond. The only thing that concerns me is whether he will understand the assignment for the couture part, which, for me, is the essential aspect. It might take him a few seasons to get there.

 

[j02215]

Simon’s vibes (I wouldn’t call them designs) are so trashy, and not in an ironic/playful/self-aware way à la Karl.

If true, it would really be a sad day for the industry imo. It just shows how much pretty privilege and being media savvy can get oneself…

 

[tricotineacetat]

I love Hedi. I think he is fantastic menswear designer and a great Art Director. I appreciate his standards and his sense of branding…

But in terms of fashion, womenswear, no.
Contrary to a lot of people it seems, what I loved the most about Karl’s Chanel were his clothes. And it was the same about his work for Fendi, Chloe and (sometimes when he wasn’t lazy) his own house.
What I’m the least impressed by concerning Mr Slimane is his clothes.

I don’t know how many people will try to flip this over and over but jeans and blazers + mini dresses or prairie dresses, even presented in the slickest way, with insane production will always look banal to me. And there’s a sense of « creation » in the intention of designing clothes that I don’t find in Slimane.

I bought clothes from Celine by Slimane…And it was a menswear look.
On that menswear show where the look caught my eyes, the look was bold enough for a man to wear it and nice enough for a woman to appropriate it.

I must say that Hedi Slimane is probably my biggest disappointment ever in womenswear. For years, since I first started working in fashion, people talked about his genius and how he would do amazing things as a womenswear designer and all and all…When I saw that first Saint Laurent SS13 show and everything we have been blessed for a decade, I feel cheated.

I will say something people might perceive as extremely chauvinistic but experience has taught me over and over that a menswear tailor will cut a better jacket than an equivalently seasoned womenswear tailor. When followed by the artisanal methods, a men’s jacket sleeve is much differently constructed and undergoes a much more rigorous pressing that yields a superior result than that of Chanel’s petit mains de tailleur.

I can say this coming from a background in menswear tailoring and having had the extreme privilege of learning for a part of my fashion upbringing from the premier d’atelier tailleur of the late Monsieur Saint Laurent who moved with Hedi to Dior Homme. The fact that a designer like Alexander McQueen apprenticed at Gieves & Hawkes on Saville Row strongly informed the technical flawlessness of his design execution. Chanel deserves more than an image maker but a designer who understands this finesse and can deliver a product that can gracefully age for 20 years and potentially more - If anything at all, Chanel went into a very tacky direction, not only during the Virginie Viard years. I could name a dowdy, old fashioned Lagerfeld collection for every one that was beautiful!

While Chanel employs both tailleur and flou ateliers, I would assume tailoring is where the larger amount of money is being made. Hedi Slimane’s tailoring is without doubt flawless and I wouldn’t mind if Chanel’s jackets received an update informed by his suiting - And perhaps stick more to the colors favored by Hedi than the candy colored pastels that were such an eyesore at Chanel.

 

[tboy34]

With all due respect, I hope you guys don't roll me over the coals for saying this. I would love to see John Galliano at Chanel since he just left Maison Margiela. I feel there is a solid reason for him not renewing his contract with them. I do feel he might be the one at Chanel and they are keeping it quiet at the moment as it needs to be handled delicately. If not him, I could see Pierpaolo Piccioli there. Both designers are stellar and understand how to carry on a brand with a lot of history.

 

[IndigoHomme]

I don't know why no one brings up Sarah Burton's name.

EDIT: I know she's retired now, but she'd be a perfect match, in my opinión.



knowyourmeme

 

[tboy34]

I will say something people might perceive as extremely chauvinistic but experience has taught me over and over that a menswear tailor will cut a better jacket than an equivalently seasoned womenswear tailor. When followed by the artisanal methods, a men’s jacket sleeve is much differently constructed and undergoes a much more rigorous pressing that yields a superior result than that of Chanel’s petit mains de tailleur.

I can say this coming from a background in menswear tailoring and having had the extreme privilege of learning for a part of my fashion upbringing from the premier d’atelier tailleur of the late Monsieur Saint Laurent who moved with Hedi to Dior Homme. The fact that a designer like Alexander McQueen apprenticed at Gieves & Hawkes on Saville Row strongly informed the technical flawlessness of his design execution. Chanel deserves more than an image maker but a designer who understands this finesse and can deliver a product that can gracefully age for 20 years and potentially more - If anything at all, Chanel went into a very tacky direction, not only during the Virginie Viard years. I could name a dowdy, old fashioned Lagerfeld collection for every one that was beautiful!

While Chanel employs both tailleur and flou ateliers, I would assume tailoring is where the larger amount of money is being made. Hedi Slimane’s tailoring is without doubt flawless and I wouldn’t mind if Chanel’s jackets received an update informed by his suiting - And perhaps stick more to the colors favored by Hedi than the candy colored pastels that were such an eyesore at Chanel.

You are not chauvinistic; you are speaking the truth. Plus, I will say this: the only collection that I have seen from Hedi at Celine was this last 60s-inspired collection, which I thought was beautiful, but that is it. I echo your statement and stand behind it as well. Thank you!