Chanel's New Creative Direction
Chanel's Spring 2026 Haute Couture show under new creative director Matthieu Blazy is generating buzz for bringing sculptural, modern sensibility to classic silhouettes. Blazy, known for innovative work at Bottega Veneta, appears to be introducing technical fabrics and unexpected tailoring to the heritage house.
- The previous creative director, Virginie Viard, held the position for five years after the death of Karl Lagerfeld, with whom she had worked for over 30 years. - Under Viard's leadership, Chanel saw significant financial growth, with revenues reaching $19.7 billion in 2023, a 75% increase since 2018. However, her designs often faced criticism for being "uninspired" or "too safe," with some finding the collections repetitive and lacking the innovation of her predecessor. - Blazy was the creative director for Bottega Veneta for three years, beginning in 2021, where he garnered critical acclaim for his focus on craftsmanship and material innovation. - At Bottega Veneta, Blazy became known for his "trompe l'oeil" techniques, creating items that appeared to be simple fabrics like denim or flannel but were actually intricately crafted from leather. - Before Bottega Veneta, the 40-year-old French-Belgian designer built his career at influential houses such as Maison Margiela, Céline under Phoebe Philo, and Calvin Klein under Raf Simons. - The creative director role at Chanel is one of the most prestigious in fashion; Blazy is only the fourth person to hold the title since Karl Lagerfeld took over from founder Coco Chanel in 1983. - During his tenure at Bottega Veneta, the brand was Kering's only label to see positive sales growth in the third quarter of 2024, with a five percent jump in revenue.
