Finally, Chanel Announces Matthieu Blazy As New Artistic Director

When it rains fashion news, it pours, and a series of creative-director departures and arrivals just made Grand Central’s comings and goings look like child’s play. The most exciting news that just dropped is Matthieu Blazy’s appointment to Chanel, making him the fourth-ever person to hold this title.

To catch you up to speed on the other changes that took place for Blazy’s ascent: He departed his critically acclaimed time at Bottega Veneta, where Louise Trotter (formerly of Carven and Lacoste) will now take the helm. The rat race for the crown of designing at Chanel — and what many consider to be the most important fashion house in modern history — was exhausting. Names were swirling around, chiefly Hedi Slimane, who left Celine earlier this year, alongside Simon Porte Jacquemus, Alaïa’s Pieter Mulier, Marc Jacobs, and many others.

Elsewhere in the industry, Dries Van Noten left his eponymous label, which will now be run by Julian Klausner, a Belgian designer who’s worked for the brand for six years. Celine’s new creative director is Michael Rider, a longtime employee of Polo Ralph Lauren. Kim Jones is gone at Fendi. Sarah Burton will make her much-awaited debut at Givenchy in February 2025. In December, John Galliano just posted the most Galliano-esque flamboyant goodbye letter, resigning from a decade-long stint at Maison Margiela. Glenn Martens stepped down from Y/Project earlier this year, with many positing he’ll end up at Margiela.

So, besides headaches for all the respective HR departments at these brands, what does this mean for fashion? A shake-up was long overdue, starting at the top with Chanel, which went without a creative director for a few seasons to focus on their search. The endless switching around feels like it will settle down now, which can only bring exciting fashion come Fashion Month in February. The retail landscape is shaky, with many major houses are playing it safe to ride over a tough economic year, but with both fresh talent and storied names reclaiming brands as their own, a new fashion conversation is bound to begin.