Matthieu Blazy - Designer, Creative Director of Chanel

[Creative]

I am sure they wanted Hedi. 1000000% sure. It was the only option with a certain level of prestige.

It didn’t work out and Bruno’s being so insufferable about it making those b!tchy comments.

Then I’m sure they wanted Jacquemus. We despise him, but it’s true he would’ve been soooo hyped and a huge success.

If Hedi said no, that was like the only “decent” plan B, even if the guy doesn’t even know how to cut a T-shirt.

Then everybody was talking about it, there were many naysayers and they realized that maybe they would not have the fashion expected by their side. Jacquemus already was seeing himself at Chanel.

They changed their mind and they went for MB, in a kind of Raf at Dior movement. But Raf was way more hyped than MB and did a good job at Jil Sander.

It’s really so awkward. It’s been several days and I still can’t process it.

 

[Lola701]

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.

Indeed.
We will never know anything because a lot of those discussions are informal and those people knows each other. If talks happened between Pavlovsky and Slimane, it was informal as they know each other. Hedi has maintained relationships with the people on Karl’s circle.

Chanel only announced the hiring of Blazy now to cut the rumors short. They could have waited after the FW2025 RTW to announce it.

But what im curious though is if people prepared a dossier or if it was only based on conversations and appreciation of the work. For Louis Vuitton with Pharrell, a lot of people prepared dossiers (as it is generally the case) but in the end, Alexandre Arnault had more weight.

I think the mass loves the idea of Hedi and wants to believe that Hedi was considered but I don’t think that Chanel it was ever a possibility.

It would be foolish to think that all those people left their CD roles hoping for a job. I think that only one person got to actually meet with AW even though he was active in the process.

I have also heard that even Christelle Koche was a name thrown around as she is part of the Chanel universe.

 

[Alquimista]

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

That's not a bad thing.

Leena Nair better watch out or the babyfaced boy will cut her neck.

 

[Monsieur Cristobal]

I thought when the new CD would be finally appointed, my whole Chanel-rumours addiction would be over.
But I was so wrong 🤣

 

[proseccotabis]

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.

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.

When I say that environment is unhealthy in every brand, I say this as someone who is very familiar with how corporate departments work in fashion brand. Ask absolutely anyone who had an experience working in a brand that is in a known conglomerate, for exemple - almost every one is ready to go for a year long silent retreat in a forest. There is so much animosity, competition and spite.

In regard to Daniel- it is a combination of aspects. Extremely talented, passionate, and he actually listens/ed to upper management. What he lacks is probably diplomacy - something Blazy innately has.

 

[Lola701]

When I say that environment is unhealthy in every brand, I say this as someone who is very familiar with how corporate departments work in fashion brand. Ask absolutely anyone who had an experience working in a brand that is in a known conglomerate, for exemple - almost every one is ready to go for a year long silent retreat in a forest. There is so much animosity, competition and spite.

In regard to Daniel- it is a combination of aspects. Extremely talented, passionate, and he actually listens/ed to upper management. What he lacks is probably diplomacy - something Blazy innately has.

But this is a reality in every corporation. That’s why so many designers try to create a kind of shield between the corporate side and the studio.
And I know that too well even if I consider that I was lucky enough to experience an environment where we had a female president for the most part (things went sour when the president became a man).

I think fashion is such a competitive place and sometimes the corporate weight can have an effect on the personal relationships.

Obviously the two worked well under Philo, enough for them to be at BV together. So things probably changed in their dynamic at BV.

But I believe all of that of Lee. And it’s not because I like his work.

 

[blueorchid]

Leena Nair better watch out or the babyfaced boy will cut her neck.

This is what makes me laugh when people put her down for her experience at Unilever... people who work for those multinational conglomerates are RUTHLESS. We're lucky they didn't hire someone from Nestle! For example, if you own a source of clean, fresh water, while the city has lead in pipes and the citizens can't drink clean water OR steal water from public land OR a whole host of unethical things... and you just shrug and say "sorry!," you can put any creative director in their place.

 

[Monsieur Cristobal]

This is what makes me laugh when people put her down for her experience at Unilever... people who work for those multinational conglomerates are RUTHLESS. We're lucky they didn't hire someone from Nestle! For example, if you own a source of clean, fresh water, while the city has lead in pipes and the citizens can't drink clean water OR steal water from public land OR a whole host of unethical things... and you just shrug and say "sorry!," you can put any creative director in their place.

The present luxury-conglomerate landscape was crafted from the mid 80s to the 90s by industrialists and businessmen (one of them earning the nickname of Terminator after firing thousands of employés) with such aggressive strategies that Machiavelli looks like a nun in comparison.

The breakdown of sensitive people like Galliano or Decarnin is only normal (like also the vanishing of Margiela, Jil Sander, Helmut Lang... if Fashion is "that" they don't want to have anything to do with it).

 

[Kimihiro]

With how things turned out they probably never wanted Hedi. If they wanted him they would go for him. They know what entails hiring him. It’s likely that they talked about it but not more than that. This is also why I feel like menswear isn’t something they’re pursuing for now.

I’m excited for what Blazy brings to the table, if he could bring a sense of pragmatism and lightness to his quite craft-heavy designs. I don’t see how he couldn’t work for Chanel.

 

[tourbillions]

Omg were still pushing hedi for chanel?? There wasnt any solid rumour that he was even interested or that chanel was interested... every "rumour" were fan fictions from the past, when karl was still alive.

 

[proseccotabis]

But this is a reality in every corporation. That’s why so many designers try to create a kind of shield between the corporate side and the studio.
And I know that too well even if I consider that I was lucky enough to experience an environment where we had a female president for the most part (things went sour when the president became a man).

I think fashion is such a competitive place and sometimes the corporate weight can have an effect on the personal relationships.

Obviously the two worked well under Philo, enough for them to be at BV together. So things probably changed in their dynamic at BV.

But I believe all of that of Lee. And it’s not because I like his work.

They pretended to like each other for a while, and it was believable, you have to give them that

 

[proseccotabis]

This is what makes me laugh when people put her down for her experience at Unilever... people who work for those multinational conglomerates are RUTHLESS. We're lucky they didn't hire someone from Nestle! For example, if you own a source of clean, fresh water, while the city has lead in pipes and the citizens can't drink clean water OR steal water from public land OR a whole host of unethical things... and you just shrug and say "sorry!," you can put any creative director in their place.

Makes me think of the dude ( ex-CEO?) if Burberry from Marks and Spencer or Selfridges or something. LOL bizzarre

 

[Grets]

The lack of joy around this appointment is really telling. The way it was dragged out, how Virginie left. In time it will be revealed how insidious this all was.

 

[oioioi]

I think fashion is such a competitive place and sometimes the corporate weight can have an effect on the personal relationships.

Obviously the two worked well under Philo, enough for them to be at BV together. So things probably changed in their dynamic at BV.

But I believe all of that of Lee. And it’s not because I like his work.

Matthieu joined Celine Phoebe Philo as a Designer on Pre-collection and exited after 1 season, whereas Daniel was on Show and later for PP's final season the teams merged before DL eventually become Design Director. Probably not having worked directly together, helped for Matthieu to take the Director position at BV, to not have been able to compare it with a past working relationship.

 

[PDFSD]

When I say that environment is unhealthy in every brand, I say this as someone who is very familiar with how corporate departments work in fashion brand. Ask absolutely anyone who had an experience working in a brand that is in a known conglomerate, for exemple - almost every one is ready to go for a year long silent retreat in a forest. There is so much animosity, competition and spite.

In regard to Daniel- it is a combination of aspects. Extremely talented, passionate, and he actually listens/ed to upper management. What he lacks is probably diplomacy - something Blazy innately has.

i share your truth , even if some places its less more of the typical things you find at any office type stuff and at most places its unacceptable behaviors on many levels how people are dealing with each other and all the dirty games from top management to HR to Managers and directors and creative directors etc are pitting lower placed staff against each other with games and lies and mistreatment etc

some friends i just avoid to ask them how its going to just not hear another crazy new story or issue that happened.

how much of greed, animosity, competition and spite and pollution etc should go into production of clothes and acc and image for people to dream and love or be inspired by or buy into....its a odd this ......

for a business that creates beauty why is there so much ugliness behind it i often ask myself

 

[style_expert]

With how things turned out they probably never wanted Hedi. If they wanted him they would go for him. They know what entails hiring him. It’s likely that they talked about it but not more than that. This is also why I feel like menswear isn’t something they’re pursuing for now.

Exactly. Nobody would turn down the Chanel job, and especially not Hedi, so I have a hard time believing it was offered to him in the first place.
Hiring Hedi means giving him carte blanche—that's what he's used to, and it's not exactly a well-kept secret they uncovered by talking to him.
Bruno, and especially Leena, would never want to go that far. On top of that, with the rumored annual paycheck, they were in a somewhat frugal mood. Maybe it'll be their loss in the end, who knows.

Hedi is clever, and the persistent Chanel rumors probably only worked to his advantage in getting what he wants within LVMH, whether that’s Dior or another position.