Discussion: Who Should Be The Creative Director of Chanel?

[PDFSD]

Maybe that is the next step: execs as the icons in fashion.

i agree and believe this is already happening as next step corporations have Ceo´s speak for companies not creative directors its already the norm in other fields.

it's like the fickleness of creatives are not a stable way of communication for companies and they need a levelhead corporate person to do the job.

i agree with all you mentioned on the rest its not random and its observations that i made as well.

 

[Nimsay]

not Wall Street Journal backing Marc.

I told you the Art Scene in manhattan loves Marc and they’re cuddled up to Wall Street since Wall Street is the Artist customer.

this new CEO is concerning me. Her thoughts and opinions seem out of date and im concerned if she knows what she’s doing. Im not sure why I would even speak about AI or something about Chanel. Then talking about how the AI showed the Chanel ceo was a man not a woman.


Like who cares? Where are my designer clothes Leena ? Its giving 2014 energy and im worried about Chanel.

 

[Lola701]

not Wall Street Journal backing Marc.

I told you the Art Scene in manhattan loves Marc and they’re cuddled up to Wall Street since Wall Street is the Artist customer.

this new CEO is concerning me. Her thoughts and opinions seem out of date and im concerned if she knows what she’s doing. Im not sure why I would even speak about AI or something about Chanel. Then talking about how the AI showed the Chanel ceo was a man not a woman.


Like who cares? Where are my designer clothes Leena ? Its giving 2014 energy and im worried about Chanel.

I don’t think the decision depends on her…
Bruno and the Weirthemers will decide.

 

[vogue22]

There is no way Marc, the Olsens or P. Mulier are going to Chanel.

Thanks for the article, PDFSD. It was well written, but its author is like everybody else trying to figure out things through a very thick fog.

About the "new balance of power", which intrigues me a lot...
My theory:
Till the death of Karl, his "voice over like a personal god guided you to believe in a 10k coat" (PDFSD © 🤣). The designer was in a way also the PR of the brand and in charge of the storytelling.

But this type of very charismatic Creative Director is very rare nowadays. They want their privacy. Maybe they give one interview to The New York Times and that's it. The only interwiew I remember by Hedi was the one issued when he created the first and final Couture collection at Saint Laurent (spectacular interview, by the way, sharp like a razor).

I've been watching a couple interviews with Leena Nair. She is good at explaining Chanel. The same questions come over and over: Women, Chinese market, AI, human craftmanship vs. technology, the future of Chanel, sustainibility, inclusion, the long term decisions because they are a private company, her own personal story who everybody agrees to find very inspiring, the "lift while you climb" motto...

Maybe in the near future it's going to be the CEO the one in charge to explain the meaning of a brand, and the designers will only design.
Even here, a forum about fashion, names like S. Cantino, P. Beccari, M. Bizzarri, F. Bellettini, S. Toledano, C. Charbit, the Arnaults... are not unknown.
Maybe that is the next step: execs as the icons in fashion.

(sorry if this sounds apocalyptic and random 😅)

Hmm im intrigued now, could you please give me links to these specific interviews.

 

[alwaysademo]

I've been watching a couple interviews with Leena Nair. She is good at explaining Chanel. The same questions come over and over: Women, Chinese market, AI, human craftmanship vs. technology, the future of Chanel, sustainibility, inclusion, the long term decisions because they are a private company, her own personal story who everybody agrees to find very inspiring, the "lift while you climb" motto...

Maybe in the near future it's going to be the CEO the one in charge to explain the meaning of a brand, and the designers will only design.
Even here, a forum about fashion, names like S. Cantino, P. Beccari, M. Bizzarri, F. Bellettini, S. Toledano, C. Charbit, the Arnaults... are not unknown.

Hope you don't mind me asking, what exactly is inspiring about Leena's story? that she was the first of her kind to secure that job position?
What has she done at Chanel? Being hired cannot be the aspirational part.
I like success stories as much as the next one but i feel like we're losing focus.

 

[blueorchid]

I was reading an old article from my "archives" (lol) and I found this one from 1990. It's more about YSL, but I find the criticism of Karl's Chanel to be interesting in retrospect. Obviously no one is listening to me when it comes to this matter, but as a choice... in a way... could Hedi be too close to Karl? I wonder if what's needed is a designer who's not going to rely AS MUCH on what Karl did with Chanel and (hopefully) present a new interpretation of Chanel. Karl's definitely a designer that I look at with an "absence makes the heart grow fonder" approach now that he's not around and most designers are LITERALLY designing rags... but hmm, yes, once upon a time people were critical of him! Maybe it has to be someone drastically different to refresh it all... but is that what they want?

Aaanyway, it gave me something to think about for 2 minutes:



Connoisseur February 1990

 

[jeremydante]

I was reading an old article from my "archives" (lol) and I found this one from 1990. It's more about YSL, but I find the criticism of Karl's Chanel to be interesting in retrospect. Obviously no one is listening to me when it comes to this matter, but as a choice... in a way... could Hedi be too close to Karl? I wonder if what's needed is a designer who's not going to rely AS MUCH on what Karl did with Chanel and (hopefully) present a new interpretation of Chanel. Karl's definitely a designer that I look at with an "absence makes the heart grow fonder" approach now that he's not around and most designers are LITERALLY designing rags... but hmm, yes, once upon a time people were critical of him! Maybe it has to be someone drastically different to refresh it all... but is that what they want?

Aaanyway, it gave me something to think about for 2 minutes:

View attachment 1324140
View attachment 1324141
Connoisseur February 1990

Respect all you contextualized here. Something for us to really reflect upon for sure.
Can't say that he and Hedi are similar, because Hedi is a copy-cat of Karl at most; whether it's design continuity or one-trick pony status, I am unsure. Chanel needs something new.

This what a nice glance back. As cutting as the article exerpt is, it's still pretty true. Which, at that time, people were tired of but hey- it endured, and it has staying power. Current day or vintage it endure.

 

[tourbillions]

could Hedi be too close to Karl?

stop posting receipts that will ruin hedi stans fantasies 😁 His womenswear will always look like an afterthought, even if it was all well made and "couture" and well curated... He makes embellished basics at most. Not so much to to expect from him in terms of fashion/silhouette/innovation. Not sure how this is a perfect fit for a womens brand.

 

[Salvatore]

So what direction do we see/want Chanel to go in ?

 

[Monsieur Cristobal]

Hope you don't mind me asking, what exactly is inspiring about Leena's story? that she was the first of her kind to secure that job position?
What has she done at Chanel? Being hired cannot be the aspirational part.
I like success stories as much as the next one but i feel like we're losing focus.

Hello alwaysademo!

Please note what I wrote: "her own personal story, which everybody agrees to find very inspiring".

I formulated it like this on purpose.
People unanimously admire the story of a little girl born in a small city in India riding a bycicle who, with hard work, makes her way through factories and Unilever to the top of Chanel.
In the end, it is always the same: people admire hard work when the result is power and money. Hard work by itself is often considered brutalizing.

Now, if you ask me, I myself find inspiring Marguerite Duras, Martin Margiela or Thomas Pynchon. Not a CEO from any company in the world.

 

[Monsieur Cristobal]

Hmm im intrigued now, could you please give me links to these specific interviews.

Post #865 on this same thread, two pages ago, it is a good place to start.
In youtube you will find more.

 

[alwaysademo]

Hello alwaysademo!

Please note what I wrote: "her own personal story, which everybody agrees to find very inspiring".

I formulated it like this on purpose.
People unanimously admire the story of a little girl born in a small city in India riding a bycicle who, with hard work, makes her way through factories and Unilever to the top of Chanel.
In the end, it is always the same: people admire hard work when the result is power and money. Hard work by itself is often considered brutalizing.

Now, if you ask me, I myself find inspiring Marguerite Duras, Martin Margiela or Thomas Pynchon. Not a CEO from any company in the world.

Hi! All i was meant to ask is is there any specific changes she has made at Chanel that you know of? Is VV's exit related to her appointment? For some reasons from the moment she was appointed everybody seems to focus on her Indian heritage, I just would like to know more about her current role and what she has done there so far.

I've always wanted to finish the Crying of Lot 49 but never came around to do it. He's the literary Margiela from what i've heard.

 

[Monsieur Cristobal]

Respect all you contextualized here. Something for us to really reflect upon for sure.
Can't say that he and Hedi are similar, because Hedi is a copy-cat of Karl at most; whether it's design continuity or one-trick pony status, I am unsure. Chanel needs something new.

This what a nice glance back. As cutting as the article exerpt is, it's still pretty true. Which, at that time, people were tired of but hey- it endured, and it has staying power. Current day or vintage it endure.

I agree with you. One thing is to follow Karl's path, another is to be his equivalent.

We've heard a million times that, when Karl went to Chanel, the house was the dusty sleeping beauty.

Everybody and their neighbours were working at their own houses, under their own names: St. Laurent, Montana, Sonia Rykiel, Kenzo, Diane von Furstenberg, Mugler...
I can imagine at the time Karl's move was seen as "not being a true couturier".
But what Karl did against everybody, turned out to become the dream for the next generation: to resurrect a heritage house.
The formula has been the epitome of glamour in the last twenty years, but it shows now symptoms of fatigue.
I think only Poiret and Worth remain the only ones untouched yet by the revival fever.

The equivalent of Karl would go today for a personal project, without logomania, no branded tshirts, and would be successful, against all conventions.

 

[Lola701]

I was reading an old article from my "archives" (lol) and I found this one from 1990. It's more about YSL, but I find the criticism of Karl's Chanel to be interesting in retrospect. Obviously no one is listening to me when it comes to this matter, but as a choice... in a way... could Hedi be too close to Karl? I wonder if what's needed is a designer who's not going to rely AS MUCH on what Karl did with Chanel and (hopefully) present a new interpretation of Chanel. Karl's definitely a designer that I look at with an "absence makes the heart grow fonder" approach now that he's not around and most designers are LITERALLY designing rags... but hmm, yes, once upon a time people were critical of him! Maybe it has to be someone drastically different to refresh it all... but is that what they want?

Aaanyway, it gave me something to think about for 2 minutes:

View attachment 1324140
View attachment 1324141
Connoisseur February 1990

That’s why a designer who has range is necessary because Karl flipped and did the total opposite of that in the late 90s. And that’s the secret of the longevity. He was self aware and not stuck in his ways…Maybe because he was confident in his vision and aesthetic. The silhouettes and the ethos of Karl were always there.
Then he did change again in the 2000’s and in the 2010’s.

I don’t expect the next CD of Chanel to stay for 30 years but I think the desire for Hedi to take over is very short-term viewed and insanely nostalgia-based.

People want Chanel by Hedi because essentially, they wants Chanel from the early to mid 00’s. And ultimately, that vision is still a shadow of Karl’s heritage.

The legacy of Karl couldn’t be ignored because he shaped (for better or worse) our vision of Chanel.

In essence, I would love to have someone who has fun with the heritage of Chanel. Who has the same approach as Karl. But for that you need great culture and great techniques. Because beyond the logos and big shows, there were clothes that displayed the eye of a Couturier.

 

[helmutnotdead]

.

In essence, I would love to have someone who has fun with the heritage of Chanel. Who has the same approach as Karl. But for that you need great culture and great techniques. Because beyond the logos and big shows, there were clothes that displayed the eye of a Couturier.

that’s why Nicolas is the best option in my opinion.

 

[PDFSD]

The equivalent of Karl would go today for a personal project, without logomania, no branded tshirts, and would be successful, against all conventions

yet not sure we need more new brands when the current ones are mostly crap anyways,

also new brand grow up to be big brands if lucky and the cycle repeats

 

[PDFSD]

That’s why a designer who has range is necessary because Karl flipped and did the total opposite of that in the late 90s. And that’s the secret of the longevity. He was self aware and not stuck in his ways…Maybe because he was confident in his vision and aesthetic. The silhouettes and the ethos of Karl were always there.
Then he did change again in the 2000’s and in the 2010’s.

I don’t expect the next CD of Chanel to stay for 30 years but I think the desire for Hedi to take over is very short-term viewed and insanely nostalgia-based.

People want Chanel by Hedi because essentially, they wants Chanel from the early to mid 00’s. And ultimately, that vision is still a shadow of Karl’s heritage.

The legacy of Karl couldn’t be ignored because he shaped (for better or worse) our vision of Chanel.

In essence, I would love to have someone who has fun with the heritage of Chanel. Who has the same approach as Karl. But for that you need great culture and great techniques. Because beyond the logos and big shows, there were clothes that displayed the eye of a Couturier.

agree , yet still out of the known CD´s pools of people, Hedi for me is most logic choice business wise and i would not be surprised if they do end up with him. (but not shocked if its a worse choice than him either , ceo´s in general are very cheap in mind set )

just for basic fact of consistency in work ethic and his commercial sensibility (creative wise he will adapt and evolve as chanel is a different concept/idea/beast and a real paris HC house he so much emulated at Celine , and final SL year)