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This is not just about surpassing the legacy and more experience than of Karl Lagerfeld, but about how to convey a creative vision to a brand whose codes and traditions have defined ultimate luxury for many years.
Matthieu Blazy has proven during his tenure at Bottega Veneta that he is capable of bringing freshness and innovation to classic elements, and now, he will take on the responsibility of reinterpreting those same traditional values that have made Chanel legendary. His work so far shows that he is not only a designer, but also an artist with the ability to balance tradition and innovation, which gives him the ability to shape a new era for one of the most famous brands in the world.
Over the past 18 months, one question has dominated conversations at fashion cocktail parties like no other. Why is there an unusual change of talent in the most famous fashion houses? This phenomenon, known as the game of musical chairs, is becoming more and more common as many historic fashion houses have recently brought in fresh talent to take them into the future.
However, no issue has generated as much attention and fashion speculation as the selection of Chanel’s new creative director, a position that has been vacant since Virginie Viard left the brand in June. Karl Lagerfeld and his 36 years at Chanel left huge shoes to fill. In the months that followed, many candidates were mentioned, including Marc Jacobs, Hedi Slimane, Simone Porte Jacquemus and even Sofia Coppola, while heated discussions took place in the Instagram comments.
But after almost six months, the biggest fashion position in the world has finally been filled. On December 12, Chanel announced that Matthieu Blazy will be their new artistic director .
For those unfamiliar with the designer, Matthieu Blazy has spent the last four years as Bottega Veneta’s creative director, slowly taking over from Daniel Lee in 2021. During his tenure at the Italian fashion house, Blazy has created bestsellers in the accessories category as well as notable ready-to-wear pieces that have garnered critical acclaim. His resume also includes work at Maison Margiela and Celine. However, despite his recent triumphs, he was a rather unexpected candidate for Chanel. In fact, it took me a few days to familiarize myself with his collections and to understand his vision. Today I am fully convinced of his potential.
The question that arises is: What will be the new era of Chanel? Until his yet-to-be-released first collections, it’s hard to predict how Blazy will approach Coco’s classic tweed ensembles and signature bags. However, if we rely on his short but highly influential era at Bottega Veneta, there is much to be excited about, as well as several designer signatures that will surely move with him to Chanel.
The Bottega Veneta Ready to Wear Fall/Winter 2023-2024 collection showcased Blazy’s ability to bring the brand’s signatures to life without losing their essence. His ability to bring freshness to classic elements, such as the brand’s famous Intrecciato weave, while simultaneously exploring leather technique in an innovative way, has made his work unforgettable. Throughout his career, Blazy has boldly experimented with leather fringes and strange but effective silhouettes. At the same time, he knows when to return to the roots of the brand, as is the case with new approaches to Chanel codes from past decades, including inspiration from the 1930s or haute couture Chanel Bride.
Additionally, his talent for creating bags with “It Bag” status has already proven successful. In just three years, Matthieu Blazy has created two absolute hits, the Sardine bag and the Andiamo bag , which is a rarity for any creative director. The fact that he created such distinctive accessories speaks to his ability to spot what makes a bag truly special. Given that Chanel’s flap bags remain one of the most valuable and sought-after bags on the market, Blazy has all the prerequisites to bring freshness to this category as well. In this context, the new generation of Chanel bags could carry his distinctive design.
What’s more fun in the world of fashion than Blazy’s obsession with tassels? His frenzy with tassels has become one of the funnest parts of his collections. His creativity, which constantly evolved through each new collection, culminated in incredible pieces like the sea anemone dress from the Fall 2024 collection. Although his work is sometimes bizarre, he has always been deeply creative, and fringes have become his trademark. Chanel, with its tweed empire, is the ideal place for Blazy to continue creating his distinctive design stamp.
His tenure at Bottega Veneta will also be remembered for his wit. Matthieu Blazy proved that serious fashion doesn’t have to be serious , and maybe that spirit of frivolity can be exactly what Chanel needs.
Matthieu Blazy created synergy with new talents and this is something that defined his work at Bottega Veneta. Although Chanel often tends to work with established faces, Blazy could bring a breath of fresh air to this house, creating organic partnerships and attracting real fans of the brand.
Finally, Matthieu Blazy is an expert in trompe-l’œil , the technique of optical illusions, which has become recognizable in his collections. Some of his most famous creations, such as leather flannel shirts and plastic bags that look like paper bags, perfectly showcase his talent for making clothes something they are not at first glance. This is another way in which Blazy balances tradition with innovation, and this is exactly what can bring Chanel a brilliant new era of tweed and pearls that will be anything but ordinary.
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