Paris (AP) The fashion brand Chanel announced Thursday that Franco-Belgian designer Matthieu Blazy has been named as its new artistic director, filling one of the most prominent positions in the world of fashion.
Beginning in 2025, the 40-year-old will be in charge of all collections for the second-largest luxury brand in the world. Virginia Viard left the house earlier this year.
Blazy comes with a reputation for creativity and skill, developed during her time at Maison Margiela, Raf Simons, and Phoebe Philo’s C line. He most recently served as Bottega Veneta’s creative director.
Bruno Pavlovsky, the president of Chanel, commended Blazy’s bold and effective strategy and said he would experiment with the House’s traditions and norms to take it in novel and fascinating ways.
“I’m ecstatic and honored,” Blazy added.
Critics have pointed out that Blazy’s relative youth raises the possibility that Chanel is setting him up for a lengthy term, similar to the 36 years Karl Lagerfeld led the company. After Lagerfeld, Viard, and founder Gabrielle Coco Chanel, he is just the fourth designer to hold the position in Chanel’s more than a century-long history.
Viard resigned earlier this year after more than thirty years with the business, abruptly announced in the middle of the night just weeks before the couture show. Viard succeeded Lagerfeld after his death in 2019.
The announcement seemed remarkably crude for a house that is renowned for its careful image execution. It was later disclosed that Viard’s staff will be handling the collection in place of her for her final couture presentation.
Viard set Chanel sales records during her tenure, hitting $19.7 billion last year. However, there was some controversy throughout her period. Backlash after a badly received mid-season show in Marseille added to the criticism that her creations lacked the dramatic flair of Lagerfeld’s time. At first, her appointment was thought to be temporary.
Blazy’s entrance, according to critics, marks a new era for Chanel, fusing tradition and contemporary as the fashion company looks to the future.
According to Chanel CEO Leena Nair and Global Executive Chairman Alain Wertheimer, Blazy is among the most talented designers of his time.
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