After much speculation, industry rumours and plenty of plain gossip, Chanel has confirmed Matthieu Blazy will be its new artistic director and join the house in 2025. Often described as the most coveted design job in fashion, the former Bottega Veneta lead will now take on haute couture, ready-to-wear and accessories at the storied fashion house, producing 10 collections a year.
‘I am thrilled and honoured to join the wonderful house of Chanel,’ Blazy said in a statement shared with ELLE UK. ‘I look forward to meeting all the teams and writing this new chapter together.’
The news of Blazy’s appointment comes just moments after it was announced that British designer Louis Trotter will take over at Milan-based Bottega Veneta.
Announcing the appointment, Alain Wertheimer, global executive chairman, and Leena Nair, global CEO of Chanel, explained further why the Belgian designer was the right man for the job, describing him as ‘one of the most gifted designers of his generation’ and that ‘his vision and talent will reinforce the energy of the brand and our position as a leader in luxury. 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.’
Blazy’s name had long been in the running, alongside other rumoured contenders including Hedi Slimane and Simon Porte Jacquemus, since the swift departure of Virginie Viard in June 2024. Viard, who had a long history at the brand as Karl Lagerfeld’s right-hand, took on the top creative role following his death in 2017.
Speaking immediately after the appointment, ELLE‘s fashion director Avril Mair commented: ‘This is without a doubt the most coveted job in fashion – but also the most intense, with 10 collections a year to deliver for the world’s second largest fashion brand. It’s a clever, considered appointment: a Paris-born designer who worked quietly under some of this generation’s most revered names (Phoebe Philo, Raf Simons) then suddenly shot to fame with his appointment at Bottega Veneta in 2021. Blazy now becomes only the second external designer at the brand, following in the footstep of Karl Lagerfeld, who himself followed Coco Chanel. The pressure will be immense but he has until October 2025 to produce his first collection, which is an indication that the brand is prepared to give the designer time to settle in.’
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