Why Chanel Chose Matthieu Blazy

PARIS — Matthieu Blazy has been named artistic director of fashion collections at Chanel, opening a new era for the French couture and beauty giant.

Blazy joins Chanel following a three-year stint at Kering’s Bottega Veneta, where his collections celebrated the brand’s fusion of traditional Italian craftsmanship, materials innovation and a kaleidoscope of cultural references, attracting industry respect and an eclectic cast of A-list muses.

Blazy succeeds Virginie Viard, a longtime deputy of Karl Lagerfeld who exited the brand in June after 5 years as artistic director. Previously, Lagerfeld, who died in 2019, led the brand for 36 years, fuelling the 114 year-old label’s transformation a global megabrand.

“Matthieu became an obvious choice for the brand as we came to understand his talent, his personality, his groundedness, his culture,” Chanel’s fashion president Bruno Pavlovsky told BoF in an interview ahead of the announcement. “The interview process was truly inspiring as we grew to know him: his vision for creation, his modernity, his respect for and commitment to products, and the women who surround and inspire him.”

Fashion’s second-biggest brand with nearly $20 billion in annual revenue doesn’t need a “revolution” so to speak, according to Pavlovsky. But Chanel is nonetheless positioning the hire as a historic, transformative move for the company. “We didn’t choose Matthieu to just ‘do Chanel,’ we chose him so he could push the boundaries of what Chanel is, for the future,” Pavlovsky said. “He will bring his modernity, his way of working — Chanel is ready to let itself be transported.”

Blazy is set to join Chanel by April 2025, ahead of a debut collection slated for next September.

Blazy’s Path

The designer, aged 40, cut his teeth as a young creative director leading the anonymous studio at Maison Margiela following founder Martin’s exit in 2011. He went on to work under Phoebe Philo at Celine and Raf Simons at Calvien Klein before joining Bottega Veneta in 2020, initially as ready-to-wear director under Daniel Lee.

As creative director of Bottega Veneta since November 2021, Blazy has become known for runway collections that put cutting-edge craft in the spotlight, as well as a kaleidoscopic mix of references to art, design and cinema. Creating surprising garments from inspirations as banal as an oxford shirt or jeans — using ultra-realistic trompe-l’œil effects to render those casual sportswear staples in printed leather, for example — was one of Blazy’s signatures.

During his tenure, the brand’s ambassadors included masters in their field spanning ages and nationalities: actresses Michelle Yeoh and Julianne Moore; rapper and style icon A$AP Rocky; Priscilla leading man Jacob Elordi.

Blazy’s vision of fashion isn’t about “changing just to change,” Pavlovsky said. “There is a real depth to what Matthieu does, from the shows to the products, to his way of talking about them.”

Broad Mandate

Blazy’s appointment follows a lengthy search as Chanel worked to identify the right designer to reinvigorate its brand message and provide added creative thrust to its vast operation.

Chanel’s artistic director oversees six runway shows per year across ready-to-wear and couture, as well as red carpet projects and commercial collections that include everything from $10,000 handbags to $500 hair clips, capsules for ski and sand. Its designer also usually plays a hands-on role steering the brand’s marketing: Karl Lagerfeld photographed many campaigns himself; Viard worked in close partnership with the duo Inez and Vinoodh to refresh and add variety to its image.

“There’s an important collective dimension to what we do at Chanel,” Pavlovsky said. “Matthieu stays true to his own strong, seductive personality — he will bring his exceptionalism to the brand — but at the same time he has a real vision of the collective. We never stopped speaking about the teams.”

Reviving Momentum

Chanel’s revenues have surged in recent years as the luxury sector boomed following the coronavirus pandemic. The company reported revenues of $19.7 billion in 2023, up more than 75 percent over five years. Prices surged as well, making the once-untouchable brand an easy target for complaints about everything from quality (often called out as not up-to-par with the increased cost) to design (still commercially resonant, but sometimes seen as a bit stale).

Its new designer will need to advance the brand’s creative message while still serving clients with products that are desirable — and wearable — enough to justify the splurge. That’s a bigger challenge than usual as the luxury sector navigates a downturn in demand across key markets. Chanel has not reported figures since 2023, but sector bellwether LVMH reported fashion sales down 7 percent in the third-quarter, while Richemont’s sales slipped 1 percent.

Chanel has had a “more difficult” year along with the broader sector, although its sales are “just a bit, not a lot, less good than 2023,” Pavlovsky said.

At a travel show in Hangzhou, China last week, Pavlovsky was reassured to see that despite an economic crisis in the key market, “a lot of clients are still extremely passionate about the brand.”

Under Blazy, Bottega Veneta was a rare bright spot as the luxury industry entered a downturn, continuing to post modest growth even as it cut back on its exposure to wholesale. Blazy’s rigorous approach to product development will position the house to keep up with a “high demand for meaning and value,” among clients, he added.

When clients get to see up-close, touch and learn about products and craft techniques, as during events like Chanel’s travel shows, “that sublimates the collection; it just multiplies clients’ interest,” Pavlovsky said. “It’s up to brands to do that deep work on their products, and to engage the clients. If business has been more difficult lately, it’s a good wake-up call for everyone,” Pavlovsky said. “We have to keep creating something real.”