After Karl Lagerfeld’s death, his right hand, Virginie Viard, took over the reins at the Chanel fashion house. After a few seasons, however, she resigned, and the brand was left without a creative director for six months. There has been a lot of turnover in the industry in recent years, as many designers have changed positions. Brands regularly look for new creatives to revitalize and spread the image of their companies, they do not always make the right choice, so they are non-stop looking for worthy successors. Chanel has filled the vacant position of creative director with a young, talented guy who can boast of many successes. It is Matthieu Blazy who will be responsible for creating the next chapter in the history of one of the most famous fashion houses in the world. Many people are asking themselves – is this a worthy successor to Karl Lagerfeld? It remains to wait for the first results of the cooperation.

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Chanel brand history

Coco Chanel, or really Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel, was born in 1883. She spent her early years in Aubazine with nuns. After leaving the convent, she worked as an expeditor in a store and as a seamstress. Meeting Etienne Balsan dramatically changed the young girl’s fate. Coco started out as a hat fashionista, and over time expanded the range to include other accessories, clothing, as well as fragrances. The logo with a double C, the quilted chain handbag, the boucle fabric, the “little black” – these are just a few examples of the most famous elements that have built the brand’s distinctive style over the years. This designer revolutionized the fashion world and liberated women from corsets.

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On January 10, 1971, Coco Chanel passed away. For a long time the company was managed by the Wertheimer brothers, and to this day part of the shares remain in the hands of this family. After the creator’s death, the brand was managed by her assistants Gaston Berthelot and Ramon Esparza. They were not able to live up to Coco’s fashion legend as others, including Philippe Guibourge who created the ready-to-wear collection in 1978. 1980s. is a landmark moment for the brand. Karl Lagerfeld transformed Chanel’s image and brought a breath of fresh air. The designer was at the helm of the French fashion house from 1983 until his death in 2019. Virginie Viard stood bravely by her master’s side for almost 30 years, and after his passing took over as Chanel’s creative director. She began as an intern in the haute couture department (luxury tailoring, which must meet the rules and requirements of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture), then was responsible for embroidery, and from 1997 served as head of the atelier. Her resignation from the honorable position of designer after 5 years came as a shock to the industry, because thanks to this woman the brand significantly increased profits. After Virginie Viard’s departure, the position was left empty for six months until the appointment of Matthieu Blaza – he is expected to head the brand from April 2025.

Chanel creative director
Photo. Getty Images

Matthieu Blazy – biography of the designer

Matthieu Blazy was born on June 27, 1984 in France. The fashion world knows the name well, as he is not a rookie, but a creator with a considerable body of work. The designer with French-Belgian roots is a graduate of La Cambre in Brussels. He is distinguished not only by his diploma from the prestigious university, but also by his extensive portfolio. He interned at the Balenciaga fashion house under Nicolas Ghesquiere, in addition to studying with John Galiano. His first professional steps were with Raf Simon as a men’s designer. The next stop in his career was working at Maison Margiela – he headed the pret-a-porter (ready-to-wear) and haute couture lines. However, he is best known for his work with Celine and Phoebe Philo, where he served as senior designer for women’s fashion, and where he also met Daniel Lee. Before he reached fashion heights he took charge of the pret-a-porter line at Calvin Klein, again under the helm of Raf Simon. Matthieu Blazy later became Lee’s right-hand man at Bottega Veneta. This was a real turnaround in his career, as he made this somewhat forgotten brand a leader in the industry again. In 2021, the young Frenchman was promoted – he became creative director of this exclusive Italian company after the dismissal of the English designer.

Despite his young age, Matthieu Blazy has quite a bit of experience in the industry and a sizable body of work that Chanel’s owners have recognized. The designer avoids interviews, instead he values discipline, on top of which he is distinguished by his innovative approach to fashion. He loves art and knows how to capitalize on a brand’s heritage, while also being able to refresh the image of companies with a long history. He is even a dream successor to Karl Lagerfeld and Coco Chanel. He will show his first designs to the world as early as 2025. Matthieu Blazy will be responsible for the accessories, haute couture and ready-to-wear lines. Paris Fashion Week in October is the most anticipated date among fans of the French fashion house, because then the first proposals of the new creative director will see the light of day. This will be a whole new chapter in the history of the Chanel brand.

Fashion show
Photo. Getty Images

Would Karl Lagerfeld consider Matthieu Blazy a worthy successor to him at Chanel?

There are a lot of successful young designers, but not everyone has the chance to head a well-known fashion house. Matthieu Blazy faces a serious challenge, for he has to live up not only to the legend of Coco Chanel, but also to the extremely talented master Karl Lagerfeld. The founder and her successor made Chanel immensely famous, and the company became internationally recognized. These two figures not only influenced the development of this French fashion house, but actually left their mark on the entire fashion industry. Matthieu Blazy has a difficult task to match such great personalities – geniuses. The Chanel legacy can be a real challenge for the young creator, fortunately, he has an incredible sense of style, in addition to being distinguished by his great imagination, and above all, he has a knack for designing sales hits.

After a spectacular debut at Bottega Veneta, one can expect an extremely interesting collection at Chanel, as Matthieu Blazy has resurrected the spirit of the Italian company, making direct reference to the brand’s roots, while offering something completely new. Will he again delight the critics? Time will tell, certainly his respect for tradition and boldness will help him refresh the image of the French fashion house, while retaining Chanel’s distinctive style DNA. The 40-year-old is facing the opportunity of a lifetime and could do something extraordinary that will change the fashion history of the company forever. The Frenchman has an opportunity to restore the splendor of a company with a long tradition, and above all to gain new customers. Soon everything will become clear.

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