Rather than diminishing, the list of suitors for the role of creative director at Chanel is growing, but now there would be a favourite. The announcement of the chosen one by the French fashion house will take place before the end of the year. In recent days, Matthieu Blazy has also joined the long list of favourites.
The search for a successor
Six months after Virginie Viard‘s farewell, Chanel will announce her successor. The French fashion house, which is headed by Alain and Gerard Wertheimer (the quietest billionaire brothers in the fashion system, as the New York Times calls them), has confirmed that the appointment will take place before the end of the year. Rumours, leaked by several sources, converge that this will happen in mid-December. Having found out when, it is now a question of who will occupy the coveted creative director’s chair.
Blazy’s name comes up
“Franco-Belgian designer Matthieu Blazy has emerged as the favourite for the most coveted role in fashion: creative director of Chanel”, writes Miss Tweed. Blazy, 40, is creative director of Bottega Veneta, the only Kering brand doing well. According to many insiders, the designer is just beginning to fully express his talent. Until Blazy’s announcement, Hedi Slimane was considered to be on the launch pad. Not only because of his experience, but also because of his special relationship with Karl Lagerfeld, the man who led Chanel’s creativity from 1983 to 2019, leading the brand to great success.
Two-man race
A two-man race then? Perhaps. In recent months, several names have been circulating, i.e. almost every designer on the market. The list included Alessandro Michele, who later joined Valentino. And now it includes John Galliano, Pierpaolo Piccioli, Pieter Muller, Sarah Burton and Phoebe Philo. And above all, Simone Porte Jacquemus, who until yesterday seemed Slimane’s only real rival. To The Voices 2024 Jacquemus commented on the indiscretion: “I would probably be too busy”. Which most interpreted as a denial, albeit a timid one. (mv)
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