Chanel Appoints Matthieu Blazy as it’s New Creative Director

Mattieu Blazy

Since Virginie Viard's departure from Chanel as Creative Director was announced, there has been much speculation. After months of anticipation, the beloved French fashion house has finally broken its silence—Mattieu Blazy will step into the role as of April 2025.

Blazy arrives with an outstanding reputation, which he acquired through his notable work at Raf Simons, Maison Margiela, and Celine. However, the French-Belgian designer is most celebrated for his highly successful three-year run at Bottega Veneta from 2021 to 2024. While Blazy could have continued to excel at Bottega, he has seized the opportunity to return to his home and, coincidentally, the fashion capital of the world.

Blazy is renowned for his dedication to quality craftsmanship and innovation. In an interview with The New York Times, Bruno Pavlovsky, president of fashion at Chanel, expressed his enthusiasm for this next chapter. “We have a lot of confidence in Matthieu’s capacity to bring modernity and a different approach to Chanel,”  he said. “We want him to push, to test, to go where he feels is right. We don’t want to give the feeling that the brand is stuck.”

Alain Werthermeir, the global CEO of Chanel, commended Blazy as “one of the most gifted designers of his generation.” He stated, “Under Pavlovsky's leadership, we are confident that he will continue to shape what’s next and write a new page in CHANEL's Creation.”

All eyes are on Blazy as he prepares to step into one of fashion's most influential roles and answer the question on everyone's mind—will he be the next Karl Lagerfeld? Blazy will make his first official debut in October 2025 as part of the Spring/Summer 2026 collections during Paris Fashion Week.