After six months of employment, Channel has announced its new artistic director as French-Belgian designer Mathieu Blazey.
The 40-year-old comes to the role from creative head. Italian fashion house, Bottega Venetawhere he was creative director from 2021-24.
Succeeding. Virginie WiredA long-time employee of the channel who took over from him. Karl Lagerfeld Following his death in 2019, Blazey Heritage is a fresh face for the French fashion house.
“Blizzie has a contemporary eye, which will help the channel connect with younger shoppers,” he says. Orina Roba fashion stylist who has worked with labels including Dior and Ferragamo.
“He has already shown. [at Bottega Veneta that] He knows how to use texture, color and design to create pieces that feel cool and desirable. I also imagine we’ll see it lean more towards digital storytelling and creative campaigns to attract new audiences.
Blazy’s accolades place him as an excellent choice for a luxury label. Raised in Paris, Blazey studied at the prestigious La Cambre in Brussels, where his graduate collection landed him a job with Raf Simons.
In 2011, Blaze joined Maison Margiela, where he oversaw the apparel and ready-to-wear collections. He then went on to work with industry greats such as Phoebe Philo at Celine, becoming design director of womenswear at Calvin Klein in 2016.
Blazy joined Bottega Veneta as ready-to-wear design director in 2020, and when the house’s then-creative director, Daniel Lee, left for Burberry in 2021, Blazy replaced him as creative head. appointed.
Blazey’s style is totally modern, which makes him perfect for Chanel. “Her design style is minimal and simple,” says fashion psychologist Shakila Forbes Bell. “After Daniel Lee his designs are very ‘less and more’ in my opinion.”
Its refined style is not just reserved for aesthetics. After becoming creative head at Bottega Veneta, Blazy brought an inclusive management style, which visual artist Ann Collier called “egalitarian,” and shrunk the design team, bringing creatives and artisans into the creative process.
This could be a sudden gear shift for Chanel’s traditional brand. The last time it faced such an avant-garde reform was in 1983 when Karl Lagerfeld took over to save the “near-dead brand” after the death of Coco Chanel 10 years earlier.
Lagerfeld first reinvented the so-called ‘connected’ French label by integrating the interlocking ‘CC’ monogram into ready-to-wear pieces and completely transforming the Chanel silhouette.
Lagerfeld modernized the conservative suit and skirt by padding the shoulders, making the skirt shorter and tighter, raising the heel and making the accessories bigger or smaller. All of these were incredibly controversial moves as the brand’s founder, Coco, had always disliked skirts above the knee.
This experimental and controversial approach is something that Blazey has proven during his time at Bottega Veneta as well.
In 2021, Blazy introduced trompe-l’œil denim leather pants, which went viral thanks to Kate Moss’ catwalk pairing with a casual check shirt.
More memorable pieces than the denim-look leather pants were Blazy’s introduction of the ‘Andiamo’ bag – an intrecciato-woven handbag – and the knitted sock slippers that became cult classics worn by celebrities from Cardi B to Katy Perry. .
Blazey’s ability to create viral trending pieces put him on the map as a designer to watch. “[His] Through collaborations with artists and trendsetting campaigns, Bottega specializes in cultural relevance [shows] Her natural ability can create a stir without relying on social media,” explains fashion and trend expert, Karen Ladoret.
“It will bring a new strategy to the way the channel markets itself and will increase the brand’s appeal to Gen Z.”
Its success in reinventing Bottega essentials into timeless classics meant that Bottega Veneta was the only house in the Kering roster to turn a profit in the group’s third quarter of 2023. This led Blazey to be called “the magician of Milan” by fashion journalist Vanessa Friedman.
“What Blazey did at Bottega was very clever,” explains Rob. “He brought ‘quiet luxury’ to the fore, showing that simplicity can still be exciting.
“I imagine he will bring a similar energy to Chanel, perhaps toning down some of the overly flashy elements in favor of impeccable detail and quality. It’s about letting the craft speak for itself.
So will Blazey be able to better the traditional and timeless label? “It’s never easy to own a house with such a strong identity,” says Rob. “The biggest challenge will be to keep the channel’s DNA intact and make it relevant for today’s audience.
“There’s always the risk of alienating purists if he pushes the boundaries too far, but I think Blazey has the subtlety to pull that off.”
While many see Blaze as a perfect fit, some say he could push the boundaries too far at the conservative fashion house. “The channel’s rich history can be both a strength and a hindrance,” explains Laudoret. “It will be important to maintain a balance between innovation and tradition.
“Following in Virginie Wired’s footsteps while maintaining Karl Lagerfeld’s monumental legacy will not be easy, but one can only hope that Blazey will be able to forge his own path.”
As for Blazey’s own path? We’ll have to wait and see how it looks.