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While Karl Lagerfeld was alive, the iconoclast—and iconic—German designer anointed a couple of successors for his lifetime post at Chanel.
First came Hedi Slimane. Fashion urban mythology chalks this up to Lagerfeld having been one of Slimane’s most vocal supporters, famously stating he shed weight to be able to wear his tailoring for Dior Homme, as he shared in an interview in 2004. The idea, fashion chatter said, had been to onboard Slimane at Chanel to oversee the launch of a menswear line under Lagerfeld, with the latter priming the French designer to eventually take over for him. Chanel denied any plans to be working with Slimane—or on a menswear launch—back in 2017, though when Viard exited the house most fingers inevitably pointed to Slimane once more. The plan, of course, did not materialise. It just happens to be one of fashion’s favourite unfulfilled love stories.
There was also Haider Ackermann. In 2010, Lagerfeld said that, while he had “a contract for life”, the matter of his succession depended on who he’d hand the house to: “At the moment, I’d say Haider Ackermann,” he declared. A year later, he changed his tune when he told W magazine: “Not especially. It’s not his world, I don’t think.” Ackermann was appointed creative director at Tom Ford in September 2024. He is one of the few designers of his stature who was not rumored to have interviewed for the Chanel job.
Lagerfeld’s passing in 2019 shook the industry to a halt. Who, if anyone, could take over for Karl Lagerfeld, who, having taken the job in 1983, revolutionized the luxury fashion industry and redefined the role of the creative director? This morning, Chanel announced that Matthieu Blazy, who last week exited Bottega Veneta after a stellar three years, would be taking on the role of artistic director of fashion at the storied house. As it turns out, he’s just the right man for the job.
Lagerfeld’s right hand Virginie Viard, who worked with him first at Chloé and then at Chanel, was first named his successor in 2019. It was a somewhat surprising, if not confusing, appointment. Viard was well-versed in Lagerfeld-isms, and, most of all, Chanel. Her hand was softer and pragmatic; her clothes designed with a focus on wearability rather than fantasy. Still, Viard’s collections often received lukewarm reviews, and it became harder and harder to shake off the feeling that her creative leadership was temporary. She exited in June 2024, having had the thankless job of carrying Chanel through the pandemic and serving as the bridge between Lagerfeld and now Blazy.
Never has an open creative directorship in fashion stirred as much speculation as Chanel. Rumors have included everyone from Jeremy Scott to Daniel Roseberry, Hedi Slimane, John Galliano, Marc Jacobs, Phoebe Philo, Pieter Mulier, and Simon Porte Jacquemus. At one point, it became hard to differentiate between substantiated rumours and fantasy league-style castings. It’s not just because fashion people love speculation.
This was an impossible job to hire: it had to be someone with tried and true commercial success, someone well-liked within the industry who would start off with enough goodwill to propel them forward and whose appointment would be cause for celebration as opposed to an eyebrow-raiser. Someone who gives a good interview and who industry people—critics, editors, and power players alike—actually like to speak to. Someone who is known as a talent but who is not known to be led by their ego. Someone whose main priority would be designing for the house of Chanel and everything that comes with it, as opposed to looking to the outside for opportunities.
Above all, this had to be someone with the creative and, frankly, mental and physical stamina to produce two ready-to-wear collections, a cruise collection, two couture collections, and one Métiers d’Art collection every year for the next decade or two (or three or four). After all, what Lagerfeld also did at Chanel was to turn the role into not only one of the most coveted jobs in fashion but into a sort of tenured, lifelong position. “It’s an opportunity for Chanel to continue to lead for the next 20 years,” Bruno Pavlovsky, Chanel’s president of fashion, said earlier this year in an interview with Cathy Horyn for The Cut. “We have to lead. No choice,” he affirmed.
Sounds like Blazy, no? For all the practical reasons, he is the man for the job: well-liked in the industry, a confirmed commercial success, a good interviewee, mature enough to be experienced but young enough to bet on his commitment into the future. Most importantly, he is a creative who makes clothes that are forward-looking and exciting. Blazy is also a designer’s designer. With many of his peers looking out into parallel industries more and more these days, it’s good that Chanel is betting on someone who will seemingly ground his aspirations in the maison.
I leave you with this: last week, we published our annual Vogue Runway industry poll in which we asked hundreds of fashion people to, among other things, single out their designer of the year. Blazy was one of the most popular submissions. Here’s what a stylist had to say about him: “(My designer of the year is) Matthieu Blazy because he reminds us to dream. He creates sensuality from wearable everyday clothes.” Isn’t that what we want from fashion and from Chanel? Blazy will join the house in 2025. We’ll be holding our breaths until then.
