After Bottega Veneta: Is the fashion world ready for Matthieu Blazy's vision of Chanel?

As most of the world slows ahead of a festive holiday season, the fashion industry has shifted gears, delivering a whirlwind of major announcements on Thursday evening. After months of speculation, the long-standing mystery surrounding one of the most coveted roles in fashion was finally solved. Matthieu Blazy, as of yesterday, former creative director of Italian fashion brand Bottega Veneta, will step into the role of creative director at Chanel. This revelation answers one of the year’s biggest questions in the fashion world – but it also raises new ones. What does his appointment mean for the industry, and what can be expected from the French luxury house’s new wonderboy?

Fashion’s biggest shoes to fill?

To say the weight of the fashion world is on Blazy's shoulders now that he is confirmed to take over at Chanel would be an understatement. There are few roles in fashion that, due to the forever looming legacy of Karl Lagerfeld, are as coveted and as tricky to fill. Speculations about who one day might succeed Lagerfeld started long before his death marked the end of his lifetime contract with the French brand. While Chanel was quick to find a successor for him after he passed in 2019, handing the reigns to his right-hand-woman Virginie Viard, her appointment never stopped the rumour mill from churning out names. Especially not after her sudden departure at the beginning of June.

To some, Blazy will seem like a surprising choice. After all, his name has only very recently been thrown into the ring while others – Hedi Slimane, Haider Ackermann and Simone Porte Jacquemus, to name a few – have often been cited as Lagerfeld's preferred choices for a future successor. Thus, unsurprisingly, when Slimane, whom Largerfeld had endorsed, supported and famously even shed weight for, ended his tenure at Celine just weeks after Viard left Chanel, many saw the future written in the stars. On the other hand, there were hardly any designers at the time who hadn't been associated with the house and were at least said to have applied for the position.

Viard's quiet commercial success

While the numerous rumours and speculations over the past few weeks indicate the industry’s hunger for change at Chanel, there’s no guarantee of an easy ride for Blazy. It may point to the wish for change at the French fashion brand after Viard faithfully continued in the vein of Lagerfeld, though at times lacked his imagination and fantasy, which in turn led to a lukewarm reception of most of her offerings. However, it also raises expectations for what is to come. In the history books of Chanel, Viard, perhaps unfortunately and unfairly, will most likely be sandwiched between two greats, a placeholder until the world was ready to let go of their idea of Kaiser Karl and what his Chanel had always been.

While the press might not have been enamoured with all Viard has done in the past five years, financially, she has undoubtedly set the house up for success, thus making a transition to a new creative vision trickier than some might assume upon first glance. Reviews might have been lukewarm but results have been anything but. In 2023, the French luxury house's turnover rose to 18,17 billion euros. Compared to the equally record-breaking figures from the year prior, the increase was 15.8 percent on a constant currency basis. Over the past five years, in which Viard played a major role, Chanel has therefore doubled its turnover from the 9,8 billion euros in sales it generated in the 2018 financial year. It is a success story that the brand is keen to build upon, and so, one big question remains: While the fashion world might be ready for a fresh take on the heritage brand, is its customer keen on change as well?

A steady hand for the ‘leader of luxury’

At Chanel, there appears to be no doubt that Blazy, who will join the house in 2025 and is expected to present his first collection for spring/summer 2026, will be able to steer Chanel towards an equally, if not more successful, future. “His vision and talent will reinforce the energy of the brand and our position as a leader in luxury,” Alain Wertheimer, global executive chairman, and Leena Nair, global CEO of Chanel, stated in a shared statement on Thursday. “Under the leadership of Bruno Pavlovsky’s [editor's note: president of Chanel Fashion and Chanel SA], we are confident that Matthieu Blazy will continue to shape what’s next and write a new page in Chanel’s creation.”

The ambition to remain ‘the leader of luxury’ comes at a time when the industry at large is facing a luxury downturn – one that Blazy at Bottega Veneta has proven to withstand in 2024. While other brands within parent company Kering have been struggling to keep the momentum going – Gucci's sales fell by 26 percent to 1.64 billion euros in the third quarter of the financial year, and Yves Saint Laurent's sales shrank by 13 percent to 670 million euros –Bottega Veneta proved resilient. The Italian luxury brand's sales did not only remain stable but increased, albeit only minimally. Bottega saw an increase in revenue of 4 percent, amounting to 397 million euros.

While the numbers at Bottega Veneta might not quite compare to what Chanel will expect from Blazy, they reflect the magnetic appeal of his vision to customers. Moreover, Blazy is no stranger to the challenge of taking over a successful brand and propelling it to even greater heights. When he got the promotion at Bottega Veneta, the brand underwent a remarkable turnaround initiated by its former creative director, Daniel Lee, who departed unexpectedly in November 2021. What could have marked the end of the Italian brand’s rejuvenation instead became the start of a new chapter under Blazy’s leadership. Having joined the house a year earlier as design director, he was entrusted with continuing the momentum. While Lee moved on to Burberry, seeking to replicate the transformative magic he had brought to Bottega Veneta, few could have predicted that it would be Blazy who would soon capture the spotlight and become the talk of the town.

How much of Blazy's signature will resurface on Chanel's runway?

It will take time to gauge how much of Blazy's signature style at the Italian brand will resurface on Chanel's runway. The uncertainty, however, gives the industry ample opportunity to indulge in its favourite pastime: speculation.

Will the world see tweed crafted from leather, reminiscent of Blazy’s Bottega Veneta debut collection for autumn 2020? In that collection, trompe-l’oeil jeans and a white tank top, both made of leather, deceived the fashion world before igniting a frenzy over the designer's quiet yet groundbreaking reinterpretation of the everyday. Will he continue to find wonder in the mundane, romanticise simplicity, and invite the industry to join him on a journey that elevates even the most ordinary moments – and garments – into something the world desires?

If so, he will likely do so while pushing traditional craftsmanship into new and unexpected territory, much like he did at Bottega Veneta. His often whimsical designs never alienated those seeking a refined, streamlined aesthetic. Instead, he delivered garments that, upon closer inspection, revealed an exceptional attention to texture and form. This approach could serve him extraordinarily well at Chanel, where texture is embodied by tweed, and form has long been synonymous with the jacket-and-skirt combination that has defined the brand for generations. While timelessly linked to Chanel, both might benefit from a modern, fashion-forward reinterpretation. Additionally, the fashion house's schedule of six runway shows per year, spanning ready-to-wear and haute couture, provides Blazy with the opportunity to revisit the art of haute couture. This is a realm he has already explored during his time at Maison Margiela, where he worked on the brand's Artisanal line, further honing his talent for craftsmanship and innovation.

Whatever Blazy may transform Chanel into, his appointment has already brought a breath of fresh air and renewed excitement to the iconic French brand. All that remains now is to see whether he can meet – and perhaps exceed – the immense expectations the industry has placed on him and his vision at this very moment.