After a six month vacancy, Chanel has announced its new artistic director as French-Belgian designer, Matthieu Blazy.
The 40-year-old creative head comes to the role from the Italian fashion house, Bottega Veneta, where he was creative director from 2021-24.
Succeeding Virginie Viard, a long-time Chanel employee who took over from Karl Lagerfeld after his death in 2019, Blazy is a totally fresh face for the heritage French fashion house.
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"Blazy has such a contemporary eye, which will help Chanel connect with younger shoppers," says Oriona Robb, a fashion stylist who has worked with labels including Dior and Ferragamo.
"He’s already shown [at Bottega Veneta that] he knows how to use texture, colour and design to create pieces that feel cool and desirable. I also imagine we’ll see him leaning more into digital storytelling and creative campaigns to draw in a new audience."
Blazy’s accolades place him as the perfect choice for the luxury label. Raised in Paris, Blazy studied at the prestigious La Cambre in Brussels, where his graduate collection landed him a job with Raf Simons.
In 2011, Blazy joined Maison Margiela, where he oversaw the couture and ready-to-wear collections. He then went on to work alongside industry greats like Phoebe Philo at Celine, becoming design director of women’s ready-to-wear at Calvin Klein in 2016.
Blazy joined Bottega Veneta as design director of ready-to-wear in 2020, and when the house’s then-creative director, Daniel Lee, left for Burberry in 2021, Blazy succeeded him as creative head.
Blazy’s style is pared-back yet modern, making him a great fit for Chanel. "His design style is minimal and effortless," says fashion psychologist Shakaila Forbes-Bell. "His designs after Daniel Lee are very ‘less is more’ in my opinion."
His refined approach isn’t just reserved for aesthetics. Upon becoming creative head at Bottega Veneta, Blazy brought an inclusive management style, which visual artist Anne Collier called "egalitarian", and shrank the design team while getting the makers and craftspeople involved in the creative process.
This may be a sudden gear shift for the traditional brand of Chanel. The last time it faced such avant-garde reform was when Karl Lagerfeld took over in 1983 to save the "near-dead brand" following Coco Chanel’s death over 10 years prior.
Lagerfeld reinvented the so-called ‘stuffy’ French label by firstly integrating the interlocking ‘CC’ monogram into ready-to-wear pieces and totally changing the Chanel silhouette.
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Lagerfeld modernised the conservative suit and skirt set by padding the shoulder, shortening and tightening the skirt, raising the heel and enlarging or miniaturising the accessories. These were all incredibly controversial moves as the brand’s founder, Coco, had always disapproved of above-the-knee skirts.
This experimental and controversial approach is something Blazy has also proven during his time at Bottega Veneta.
In 2021, Blazy introduced the trompe-l’œil denim leather trousers, which went viral thanks to Kate Moss’ nonchalant catwalk appearance paired with a relaxed check shirt.
More memorable pieces than the denim-looking leather trousers was Blazy’s introduction of the ‘Andiamo’ bag – the intrecciato-woven handbag – and the knitted sock-slippers which became cult classics worn by celebrities from Cardi B to Katy Perry.
Blazy’s ability to create viral trending pieces put him on the map as a one-to-watch designer. "[His] knack for cultural relevance at Bottega, through collaborations with artists and trend-setting campaigns [shows] his innate ability to create a buzz without even relying on social media," explains fashion and trend expert, Karine Laudort.
"This will bring a fresh strategy to Chanel’s way of marketing itself and enhance the brand’s appeal to Gen Z."
His success of reinventing Bottega’s accessories into timeless classics meant Bottega Veneta was the only house in the Kering roster to make a profit in the conglomerate’s 2023 third quarter. This lead to Blazy being dubbed the "Magician of Milan" by fashion journalist Vanessa Friedman.
"What Blazy did at Bottega was so clever," explains Robb. "He brought ‘quiet luxury’ to the forefront, showing that simplicity can still be exciting.
"I imagine he’ll bring a similar energy to Chanel, perhaps toning down some of the overly flashy elements in favour of impeccable detail and quality. It’s about letting the craftsmanship speak for itself."
So will Blazy be able to revamp the traditional and timeless label? "It’s never easy taking on a house with such a strong identity," says Robb. "The biggest challenge will be keeping Chanel’s DNA intact while still making it relevant for today’s audience.
"There’s always a risk of alienating purists if he goes too far in pushing boundaries, but I think Blazy has the subtlety to pull it off."
While many see Blazy as a perfect fit, some say he could push the boundaries too far at the conservative fashion house. "Chanel’s rich history can be both a strength and a constraint," explains Laudort. "It will be critical to maintain a balance between innovation and tradition.
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"It won’t be easy to follow in the footsteps of Virginie Viard whilst upholding Karl Lagerfeld’s monumental legacy, but one can hope Blazy will be able to carve his own path."
As for Blazy’s own path? We’ll have to wait and see what that looks like.
