Discussion: Who Should Be The Creative Director of Chanel?

[br3ncon1]

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.

What a mean spirited write up. To call Blazy docile before even seeing the first collection is just lazy journalism. A lot of Karl's Chanel collections were fluff with a gorgeous backdrop. Don't know how edgy we need to get with Chanel.

 

[Xone]

 

[mteb123]

What a mean spirited write up. To call Blazy docile before even seeing the first collection is just lazy journalism. A lot of Karl's Chanel collections were fluff with a gorgeous backdrop. Don't know how edgy we need to get with Chanel.

Maybe they are referring more so to his character or personality perhaps?! Which is how he comes across, he’s not a big personality by any means, maybe in his personal life he might be but as a designer not so much!!

 

[jeremydante]

.....and everyone around is horrified watching his live performance of Edward Scissorhands

giphy.com

DYING at live performance!! hahahahah @george5

 

[jeremydante]

Mostly unrelated but didn’t Jacob Elordi shoot the BV campaign in spring then the Chanel one a few months later?…

Think this is just a coincidence. Honestly.

 

[fenty]

Whispers in Paris, as a buyer told me, is that Hedi remained in the innner circle of the Arnault and he does want DIOR so JW Anderson is poised to replace Ghesquiere at VUITTON

hmm, cause why did bryanboy tweet this today?

 

[tricotineacetat]

Tbh, while Chanel isn’t the easiest house to design for, they imho have the easiest customers ; they aren’t fashion demanding at all, they have the means, they want cute and élégant Chanel-coded clothes that :
- don’t make them look 10 lbs heavier or 10 years older (thanks Virginie)
- are not «quiet luxury »
- show it’s Chanel
- have some novelty each season but not too much. And a bit of wow-factor in show présentations.
They aren’t asking for a 3-sleeves tweed jacket or see-trough skirts, or any intellectual concept of minimalism or else.

The less intellectual, the better.
Chanel RTW has to be frivolous fashion.
Unfortunately I don’t recall any frivolity within Matthieu Blazy’s work at BV.
It might be him or it might be BV’s codes for their art collectors target demographic.

Your description accurately sums up the contemporary image of Chanel Karl Lagerfeld largely created, funny (or sadly) enough, I feel like the ethos of Gabrielle Chanel would have rather found natural successors in other (female) designers in fashion history - Jil Sander or Donna Karan, who sought to dress women for a practical lifestyle and not to define her strength by means of sex appeal. Menswear was a recurring source of inspiration for Chanel and maybe in hindsight, we can ask ourselves how timely and needed a house would be that puts the woman and her needs at the center of it‘s mission.

 

[tricotineacetat]

Whoever the next Chanel CD is, it might be a good moment for him/her to rescue the younger Deauville-Serge Lifar-knitwear era, to balance the sempiternal rue Cambon-tweed-combos, which although very iconic feel sometimes a little too matronly.

I agree. The house of Chanel's identity was largely created in the 1920ies and 30ies and it‘s a period sadly looked less into than the period of her return after WW2.

I would love to see this house in a very different light than the accustomed, contemporary image of Chanel. There is certainly more in the houses' rich history that could be similarly true to the houses' identity.

 

[tourbillions]

a very different light than the accustomed, contemporary image of Chanel

why fix if its not broken. people are still lusting over the contemporary image of chanel, it just needs to be a bit more versatile

 

[PDFSD]

I agree. The house of Chanel's identity was largely created in the 1920ies and 30ies and it‘s a period sadly looked less into than the period of her return after WW2.

I would love to see this house in a very different light than the accustomed, contemporary image of Chanel. There is certainly more in the houses' rich history that could be similarly true to the houses' identity.

not saying its done always well by KL/ VV or even current studio team but the 20s and 30s are constantly in chanel collections and its the part people that don't buy into chanel RTW find most the most dowdy and old-fashioned because of the straight lines of silhouette and proportion not being super sexy intricate on pictures.

its all too demure for the fashion for dramatic hungry crowd. and to be big as the are now its just to subtle as much as wish it to be more chic the house but all these brands are no like coca cola .

 

[Nimsay]

Chanel exists has much from Karl's DNA as it does in Gabrielle's at this point. Karl didn't merely inherit Coco's legacy, he became an equal architect.

He earned the right to reshape the kingdom in his own image... Karl doesn't need to bow at the altar of Gabrielle - he built his own in the Vatican City that is Chanel.

 

[LadyJunon]

not saying its done always well by KL/ VV or even current studio team but the 20s and 30s are constantly in chanel collections and its the part people that don't buy into chanel RTW find most the most dowdy and old-fashioned because of the straight lines of silhouette and proportion not being super sexy intricate on pictures.

its all too demure for the fashion for dramatic hungry crowd. and to be big as the are now its just to subtle as much as wish it to be more chic the house but all these brands are no like coca cola .

Another issue is that the classic Chanel silhouette, isn't neccessarily flattering on most women. The straight lines somewhat demands the wearer to be somewhat lithe and petite without much in terms of bust or hips (like Gabrielle herself), otherwise it can add a lot of visual weight to the wearer. Adding a slight concave to the waist (2-3 inches at most) and a bust/armhole darts, would reduce some of the bulk while retaining the straight line effect.

 

[brandon J pierre]

Another issue is that the classic Chanel silhouette, isn't neccessarily flattering on most women. The straight lines somewhat demands the wearer to be somewhat lithe and petite without much in terms of bust or hips (like Gabrielle herself), otherwise it can add a lot of visual weight to the wearer. Adding a slight concave to the waist (2-3 inches at most) and a bust/armhole darts, would reduce some of the bulk while retaining the straight line effect.

Yes your right - bring back Karl

 

[LadyJunon]

Yes your right - bring back Karl

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Is necromancy an option?

 

[blueorchid]

PLEASE!! We must listen to Choupette's mssage of peace for the New Year and not fight (that much) in this thread!!!

 

[brandon J pierre]

Is necromancy an option?

I wish

 

[Lola701]

Yes your right - bring back Karl

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You went back as far as 1995!
Thank god he did fitted silhouettes in the 2000 and 2010’s😂

 

[blueorchid]

The straight lines somewhat demands the wearer to be somewhat lithe and petite without much in terms of bust or hips (like Gabrielle herself), otherwise it can add a lot of visual weight to the wearer.

You know, this reminds me of the children's picture book about Chanel I read where the moral of it was like "she was different because she was SKINNY!!!" lmaooo, like that's the moral of the book. It was so weird.


goodreads/drbookworm

 

[Lola701]

I think the beauty of a brand like Chanel is that it can be explored in different ways.
Again, I think this is what the approach of Blazy should be independently from how his idea of Chanel has been shaped thanks to the work of Karl.
Karl has explored many decades from the 20’s to the 30’s. From the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s. He even referenced eras where he was already active in a different way.

What I even find interesting is that when Karl referenced the 60’s, it looked nothing like what Chanel was in the 60’s.

I think Chanel is a fabulous library to take from. I don’t expect Blazy’s Chanel to look like one decade for ever and ever.

Karl had almost the weight of his past with him. When you look at his SS1984 Chloe collection, it’s very 1920’s almost Chanel like because in retrospect it looks like his interpretation of 20’s Chanel.

I really expect a post modern version of all of that. That’s what makes it contemporary.