Matthieu Blazy - Designer, Creative Director of Chanel

[proseccotabis]

i didn't...can you elaborate?

In regard to the above? Certain people from Daniels team really wanted him out and took every opportunity to make it happen. In one way or another. We see the rèsult now.

 

[Creative]

@proseccotabis - we shall see. Love a good female lead as well.

I will never understand this comments in 2024.😷

 

[yslforever]

In regard to the above? Certain people from Daniels team really wanted him out and took every opportunity to make it happen. In one way or another. We see the rèsult now.

If we do the timeline correctly, Mathieu Blazy's contract with BV was due to end around Nov. 15th 2024 at BV (classic 3 years contract with a 6 months notice), meaning he should have given his notice prior May 15th. And Virginie Viard left suddenly on June 6th (during the night of the 5th to the 6th precisely).
Is there a possibility than Blazy's departure from BV has something to do with Viard's exit 3 weeks later, or am I a cynical conspirationnist nutjob who have seen too many dirty tricks and does not believe in coincidences anymore ?

 

[proseccotabis]

If we do the timeline correctly, Mathieu Blazy's contract with BV was due to end around Nov. 15th 2024 at BV (classic 3 years contract with a 6 months notice), meaning he should have given his notice prior May 15th. And Virginie Viard left suddenly on June 6th (during the night of the 5th to the 6th precisely).
Is there a possibility than Blazy's departure from BV has something to do with Viard's exit 3 weeks later, or am I a cynical conspirationnist nutjob who have seen too many dirty tricks and does not believe in coincidences anymore ?

You aren’t, we just know the craziness of this industry well
My thèory actually also is that Matthieu was pouched by Chanel. I don’t know where I am going with this but he certainly was not asked to leave like Daniel was in his day.

 

[PDFSD]

You don’t like his work so you are biaised anyway lol.
No I think his aesthetic is very architectural. He is good at tailoring, I still think about the egg peacoats from his first collection and how very structured his work is overall.

His approach to decoration is very artisanal indeed.

But I think it’s interesting to see that interpretation from Margiela to Bottega Veneta. There’s a sense of modernity in his work but I think what characterized his BV was his take on bourgeoisie. It was very bourgeois.

I think at Chanel, unlike Margiela or Bottega Veneta, he will have plenty of room and ressources to really experiment.

Except maybe for his first 2 and his last collection for BV, there was always a sense of too much ideas that were not helped by the styling.

At Chanel, an experimentation for Haute Couture can be developed in Metiers d’arts or RTW. I think about when Karl started the embroidered tweed on organza or the concrete embroideries. Those techniques were further developed from Couture to RTW.

What I know we will get from his Chanel is clean cut! No more sloppy bulky tweed suits like the ones form the last Metiers d’Arts.

Despite the image of Chanel, Karl never stopped to push things forward so it leaves a room for anyone to really go there when I think that the heritage of Coco alone can be somehow limiting.

i am not biased to dislike it seriously i would avoid opening the tread i am not into self torture :-)

he has capabilities this is obvious that's not the question for me, i always commented on the lack of a strong point of view after all his experimentation that did not lead to some conclusion of a clear crystallized vision for BV , like Lee wich i noted has less of talent than Mathieu but did more with it at BV to maximize a strong clear brand at BV.

Mathieu in that sense is no better than VV at Chanel, as she worked in a frame work already there and did a bis version that worked commercially well but she did not bring Chanel to a new high or direction or chapter.

no doubt his passion for craft is a great asset for Chanel to tap and capitalize on even if its for optics because it was written in the press release so you can bet they will milk this part.

on cut i don't share the idea he did sharp cuts at BV many thing where oversized and quirky proportions, but sure there will be modernity no doubt.

i am looking forward to the new Chanel, i am open minded and have reservations as well, both can be true at the same time :-)

 

[Xone]

In regard to the above? Certain people from Daniels team really wanted him out and took every opportunity to make it happen. In one way or another. We see the rèsult now.

Well, if more than one wanted this i assume Daniel was not very easy to work with or the environment was not healthy as well…

 

[proseccotabis]

Well, if more than one wanted this i assume Daniel was not very easy to work with or the environment was not healthy as well…

The environment is unhealthy in every brand

 

[Grets]

If we do the timeline correctly, Mathieu Blazy's contract with BV was due to end around Nov. 15th 2024 at BV (classic 3 years contract with a 6 months notice), meaning he should have given his notice prior May 15th. And Virginie Viard left suddenly on June 6th (during the night of the 5th to the 6th precisely).
Is there a possibility than Blazy's departure from BV has something to do with Viard's exit 3 weeks later, or am I a cynical conspirationnist nutjob who have seen too many dirty tricks and does not believe in coincidences anymore ?

Wow! It was curious that Bruno P made it a point to state Blazy interviewed in July, but how much of what he says is really what he says? All these major CDs quitting their cushy existing jobs just at the possibility to become the next CD of Chanel when they had their guy this whole time. If Chanel did that they played these designers.

 

[90sfan]

It is BEYOND obvious what happened, and you dont even need to read between the lines.
They really wanted Hedi, and they had 2 more people they interviewed. None of them was Blazy, can assure you of that. The whole thing went sour with Hedi as Hedi wanted total control - stores, beauty, fashion. Its obvious from the CEO’s statement that they got someone 2nd best (as they really wanted Hedi, but now they are trashing him in press), and also Blazy is controllable, won’t make any trouble for them, can be bossed around. That’s the short and long of it.
Funny how they make a point to publicly suggest they spoke to him since July - an obvious cover up that tells us he came into talks the moment Hedi talks went sour.

 

[Nimsay]

That seems to make sense re: Hedi...also somewhat explains his departure at Celine. I am now thinking it's true they want to bring him back to dior.

I can't help but be offended for Blazy that they basically said he's a really good cog in the machine.

 

[90sfan]

Well yeah, it’s quite shocking how inelegantly they played this whole thing out. But thats exactly whats so obvious - it is out of frustration for them that Hedi didnt work out.
I also feel somewhat bad for Blazy, but then again, we should not - he has an amazing paycheck and the most prestigious job in fashion. But yeah, he’ll be treated as a minion there. They only tolerated one Karl.
Hedi was approached looooong ago. He even did his last Celine collection after they approached him.
“July” is such a joke for Blazy ….

 

[TomBlanksFullFatMiuMiu]

Well yeah, it’s quite shocking how inelegantly they played this whole thing out. But thats exactly whats so obvious - it is out of frustration for them that Hedi didnt work out.
I also feel somewhat bad for Blazy, but then again, we should not - he has an amazing paycheck and the most prestigious job in fashion. But yeah, he’ll be treated as a minion there. They only tolerated one Karl.
Hedi was approached looooong ago. He even did his last Celine collection after they approached him.
“July” is such a joke for Blazy ….

What quotes from the CEO of Hedi?

 

[blueorchid]

Why would they be shocked about Heidi being a control freak??

 

[Lola701]

I actually don’t think they wanted Hedi. Hedi knows Chanel and those people. He knows how Chanel is operating. Those are the same people in place for years.

Bruno Pavlovsky is the president of La Chambre syndicale so he had access to plethora of designers. I’m not surprised that the talks started early. Virginie left in June, Couture happened in July and from July to September, it’s the « off » period in the circuit.

People on the internet doesn’t have a clue on how those brands are operating but people in the industry knows that Chanel is only fashion. Thomas du Pre de Saint Maur is not hiding and Bruno Pavlovsky is quite a visible personality.

I think Pavlovsky however may have been annoyed by the rumors because let’s be honest, they can be parasites at a time of negotiation.

However I find it so funny that Gerard once again wasn’t necessarily part of the direct process. That man only cares about his horses and watches lol.

 

[Nimsay]

Hedi Slimane has, for the better part of fifteen years, wielded his influence over the grand maisons of fashion. The industry has found itself moving like courtiers adjusting their steps to accommodate a prince. Without Hedi they need to transform from their position as the definitive voice of fashion, where their designer's vision was received as absolute law, to repositioning themselves as label of artisanal craftsmanship.

 

[oioioi]

Blazy also cooked up the whole situation around Lee. Blazy ws the one who reported him for his "bad" behavior. Blazy is a Salieri to Daniel Lee's Mozart ;-)

Not his first time either, he had done something similar at Maison Martin Margiela where he was reporting to their creative director Ivana Omazic.

 

[Lola701]

In regard to the above? Certain people from Daniels team really wanted him out and took every opportunity to make it happen. In one way or another. We see the rèsult now.

If you don’t take your position as a leader important enough, you can’t blame anyone who has the capacity to question it.

Everybody on this forum knows that I’m a fan of Lee but he had cases against him. Blazy left right? And he was called back if I remember well.

Lee is a fantastic designer but it’s not enough to thrive. But sometimes, it’s as simple as being in a city that allows anyone to feel better.

The environment is unhealthy in every brand

It’s false.
Despite the stress, the high expectations and all, I can say that it’s possible to be on a healthy environment as long as the leader is doing his own thing.
I worked at a brand where the leader was very stressed and quite difficult and demanding (as every creative director) but the team thrived. The irony is that a lot of people (one who is also a quite known designer) hated their experience with the same CD when he was a design director!
The people who works with Hedi loved working for/with him. As demanding as he is, he is very loyal to his team.
And I have a lot of example of people who had an healthy experience in studios as well as the opposite.

An unhealthy environment is where IMO, a CD’s personal life has too much impact on his professional life and hurt his interactions with team/management. When they aren’t able to protect their team, it’s doomed.

 

[Grets]

LOL at the narrative being spun that he's this quiet genius but he's one of those snakes🐍🐍🐍

 

[GivenchyAddict]

^AMEN

 

[Monsieur Cristobal]

I actually don’t think they wanted Hedi. Hedi knows Chanel and those people. He knows how Chanel is operating. Those are the same people in place for years.

In the end, they didn't want him, because he is still unemployed.

But seeing the how things played out since Virginie left / was invited to leave, it is difficult to believe there was not some sort of dialogue between Hedi and Chanel.

I would kill for a "system magazine" type of deep interview with all the people involved in this during the last six months: Virginie, Bruno, Matthieu, Hedi? Marc? ( all the other candidates who were approached/considered).

But the people who really know will not speak; we can only speculate.