Matthieu Blazy announced as Chanel's next artistic director

French-Belgian designer Matthieu Blazy will take over as artistic director of Chanel, the world’s second biggest luxury brand in 2025. He will replace Virginie Viard, who announced her departure from the company in June.

40-year-old Blazy started his career with Raf Simons before working as a designer at Maison Margiela and then Celine and Calvin Klein. In 2020, he started working for Bottega Veneta, becoming the Italian fashion house’s creative director in 2021.

Chanel president Bruno Pavlovsky praised his “audacious” and “powerful” approach, adding that Blazy would “play with the codes and heritage of the House” to take it in “exciting new directions.”

“I am thrilled and honored,” said Blazy.

Taking up the role of Viard, who became Chanel’s artistic director in 2019 following the death of Karl Lagerfeld after 36 years in the position, Blazy is a comparatively young choice.

He is just the fourth designer to lead the fashion house in a century, after Viard, Lagerfeld and founder Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel.

Blazy’s designs have made headlines, from the encrusted mask Kanye West wore on his ‘Yeezus’ tour to the trompe-l'œil denim leather pants for Bottega Veneta, his appointment is an indication of the house’s forward-thinking approach.

Chanel’s Global Executive Chairman Alain Wertheimer and CEO Leena Nair described Blazy as “one of the most gifted designers of his generation.”

Viard left earlier this year after more than three decades with the brand – an abrupt departure, announced in the middle of the night just weeks before the couture show.

For a house known for meticulous image execution, the announcement felt unusually unpolished. Later, it was revealed that Viard would not oversee her final couture presentation, with her team stepping in to handle the collection.

During her tenure, Viard achieved record sales for Chanel, reaching $19.7 billion (€18.7 last year. But her time was not without controversy. Critics often cited her collections as lacking the theatrical flair of Lagerfeld’s era, and backlash to a poorly received mid-season show in Marseille added pressure. Her appointment was initially viewed as temporary.