Matthieu Blazy Announced As Chanel’s Creative Director – Essence

In a changing of the tide, Matthieu Blazy has been named artistic director of Chanel. This move is a preeminent decision that will surely lead the house into a new creative era.

Blazy previously was toiling away at Kering’s Bottega Veneta where he breathed life into the house through accessories, ready-to-wear and more. Bottega Veneta became a mainstay in the global fashion industry due to the designer’s creative inclinations and his striking campaigns. His collections were also lauded to to his affinity for presenting clothing that was crafted in a way to generate larger conversations around what an Italian house can be responsible for.

At Chanel, Blazy will spearhead ready-to-wear, couture and accessories collections, according to WWD. Matthieu succeeds Virginie Viard who exited the brand in June after she served as the creative director for the house for five years. With this appointment Matthieu becomes the fourth creative director of Chanel in the brand’s 114-year history. Karl Lagerfeld served as the second–Lagerfeld is largely responsible for the explosive growth of the brand during his 36-year tenure.

“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. “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.”

Born in Paris, Blazy, is a graduate of the visual arts school La Cambre in Brussels. Following internships at Nicolas Ghesquière’s Balenciaga and John Galliano he started as a menswear designer at Raf Simons. Then he joined Maison Martin Margiela where he worked on the house’s artisanal line and women’s ready-to-wear. 

By 2014, he’d joined Celine where he worked as a senior designer under Phoebe Philo. Next he cut his teeth alongside Raf Simons at Calvin Klein from 2016 to 2019. 

He’d go on to be appointed as the ready-to-wear design director at Bottega Veneta the following year under the direction of Daniel Lee. His appointment as creative director at Bottega Veneta was a career-defining moment for Blazy. Matthieu’s garments while at the house were imaginative and surreal without being too on the nose. Casual pieces also became a mainstay in addition to the reimagination of the leather goods associated with the house. 

Faces of the brand have also become synonymous with the rise of the marketing tactics Bottega Veneta has leaned into. A few include A$AP Rocky in addition to actress Michelle Yeoh, and actor Jacob Elordi.

Blazy is slated to join Chanel by April 2025. His first collection will reportedly be presented in October.