Will Matthieu Blazy turn around CHANEL?
Posted On December 13, 2024 CPP-LUXURY
CHANEL has appointed Matthieu Blazy as its artistic director of the house’s fashion activities, responsible for all haute couture, ready-to-wear and accessories collections, the house announced on Thursday, putting an end to months of intense speculation. He will report to Bruno Pavlovsky, president of Chanel Fashion and Chanel SA.
While his appointment may seem ‘politically correct’ Blazy may turn out to be too docile in his new role at Chanel, far from the calibre of Karl Lagerfeld or John Galliano. Since the passing of Karl Lagerfel, Chanel collections have become repetitive and predictable across all lines, especially Haute Couture, where historical rival Schiaparelli has taken a major lead under Daniel Rosebery.
Alain Wertheimer, global executive chairman, and Leena Nair, global CEO of Chanel, called the designer in a joint statement “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.
“I am convinced that he will be able to play with the codes and heritage of the house, through an ongoing dialogue with the studio, our ateliers, and our maisons d’art,” Pavlovsky said. “His audacious personality, his innovative and powerful approach to creation, as well as his dedication to craftsmanship and beautiful materials, will take Chanel in exciting new directions.”
Following the sudden departure of Virginie Viard from Chanel in June 2024, the job has remained vacant, culminating in an avalanche of rumours surrounding who would end up with what is arguably the most coveted job in fashion. In the past six months, designers from Hedi Slimane to Simon Porte Jacquemus were considered front runners. Jonathan Anderson of LOEWE has not been a front runner at Chanel as he prepares to take on DIOR, a sister brand within LVMH.
Blazy, who joins from Bottega Veneta will be in charge with delivering 10 collections per year (two ready-to-wear, two couture, two pre-collections, one cruise, one Métiers d’art, plus Coco Beach and Coco Neige). The Paris-born, 40-year-old designer graduated from Brussels’s La Cambre in 2007 and has held designer stints at Raf Simons and Maison Margiela, where he earned his couture stripes designing the brand’s ‘Artisanal’ line and gained recognition for his work.
In 2014, he became senior designer at Céline, under Phoebe Philo, before reuniting with Raf Simons at Calvin Klein as VP of design for womenswear and menswear from 2016 to 2019.
In 2020, he became Daniel Lee’s right hand at Bottega Veneta as design director.
After Lee’s sudden exit, he was appointed creative director in 2021 and presented his first collection for the Italian house in February 2022.
