It was the position that saw creative directors across the globe grab their CVs at dawn. When it was announced, in June, that Virginie Viard was stepping down as Artistic Director of Chanel, all eyes were fixed on who would next lead the £16 billion empire.
On Thursday, it was revealed Matthieu Blazy had come up on top. The French-Belgian designer, 40, is to be “Artistic Director of Fashion Activities” read a press release, where he “will be responsible for all Haute Couture, Ready-to-Wear and Accessories collections. Matthieu Blazy will be based in Paris and will report to Bruno Pavlovsky, President of CHANEL Fashion and Chanel SAS. He will join the House in 2025.”
Blazy is best known for his work at the Italian house Bottega Veneta, where he had been creative director since 2021. That role will be taken by Louise Trotter, formerly creative director of Carven, at the end of January 2025.
“I am thrilled and honoured to join the wonderful House of CHANEL. I look forward to meeting all the teams and writing this new chapter together,” Blazy said in a statement. He will now step into the same role the late Karl Lagerfeld held for 36 years, at the house founded by Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel in 1910.
Blazy was born in Paris and studied at La Cambre Modes design school in Brussels, Belgium, before taking on roles at Raf Simons, Maison Margiela, and Céline, under the leadership of Phoebe Philo. Between 2016 and 2019 he was Design Director of Ready-to-Wear at Calvin Klein.
His new position at Chanel marks a significant shift in his career trajectory, and despite being rumoured, the news still takes the industry by surprise — more widely known names including Marc Jacobs and Hedi Slimane were initially front runners for the coveted role.
“Matthieu Blazy is 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,” said Alain Wertheimer, Global Executive Chairman, and Leena Nair, Global CEO of Chanel, in the statement. “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.”
