How Matthieu Blazy will revamp Chanel’s stereotypical style

After a six month emptiness, Chanel has introduced it’s new creative director as French-Belgian designer, Matthieu Blazy.

The 40-year-old inventive head involves the position from the Italian style home, Bottega Veneta, the place he was inventive director from 2021-24.

Succeeding Virginie Viard, a long-time Chanel worker who took over from Karl Lagerfeld after his loss of life in 2019, Blazy is a completely recent face for the heritage French style home.

“Blazy has such a up to date eye, which can assist Chanel join with youthful buyers,” says Oriona Robb, a style stylist who has labored with labels together with Dior and Ferragamo.

“He’s already proven [at Bottega Veneta that] he is aware of the right way to use texture, color and design to create items that really feel cool and fascinating. I additionally think about we’ll see him leaning extra into digital storytelling and artistic campaigns to attract in a brand new viewers.”

Blazy’s accolades place him as the right selection for the luxurious label. Raised in Paris, Blazy studied on the prestigious La Cambre in Brussels, the place his graduate assortment landed him a job with Raf Simons.

In 2011, Blazy joined Maison Margiela, the place he oversaw the couture and ready-to-wear collections. He then went on to work alongside business greats like Phoebe Philo at Celine, turning into design director of girls’s ready-to-wear at Calvin Klein in 2016.

Blazy joined Bottega Veneta as design director of ready-to-wear in 2020, and when the home’s then-creative director, Daniel Lee, left for Burberry in 2021, Blazy succeeded him as inventive head.

Blazy’s model is pared-back but fashionable, making him an important match for Chanel. “His design model is minimal and easy,” says style psychologist Shakaila Forbes-Bell. “His designs after Daniel Lee are very ‘much less is extra’ for my part.”

His refined strategy isn’t simply reserved for aesthetics. Upon turning into inventive head at Bottega Veneta, Blazy introduced an inclusive administration model, which visible artist Anne Collier known as “egalitarian”, and shrank the design workforce whereas getting the makers and craftspeople concerned within the inventive course of.

This can be a sudden gear shift for the normal model of Chanel. The final time it confronted such avant-garde reform was when Karl Lagerfeld took over in 1983 to avoid wasting the “near-dead model” following Coco Chanel’s loss of life over 10 years prior.

Lagerfeld reinvented the so-called ‘stuffy’ French label by firstly integrating the interlocking ‘CC’ monogram into ready-to-wear items and completely altering the Chanel silhouette.

Lagerfeld modernised the conservative swimsuit and skirt set by padding the shoulder, shortening and tightening the skirt, elevating the heel and enlarging or miniaturising the equipment. These have been all extremely controversial strikes because the model’s founder, Coco, had at all times disapproved of above-the-knee skirts.

This experimental and controversial strategy is one thing Blazy has additionally confirmed throughout his time at Bottega Veneta.

In 2021, Blazy launched the trompe-l’œil denim leather-based trousers, which went viral because of Kate Moss’ nonchalant catwalk look paired with a relaxed verify shirt.

Extra memorable items than the denim-looking leather-based trousers was Blazy’s introduction of the ‘Andiamo’ bag – the intrecciato-woven purse – and the knitted sock-slippers which grew to become cult classics worn by celebrities from Cardi B to Katy Perry.

Blazy’s skill to create viral trending items put him on the map as a one-to-watch designer. “[His] knack for cultural relevance at Bottega, via collaborations with artists and trend-setting campaigns [shows] his innate skill to create a buzz with out even counting on social media,” explains style and pattern knowledgeable, Karine Laudort.

“This can convey a recent technique to Chanel’s approach of promoting itself and improve the model’s enchantment to Gen Z.”

His success of reinventing Bottega’s equipment into timeless classics meant Bottega Veneta was the one home within the Kering roster to make a revenue within the conglomerate’s 2023 third quarter. This result in Blazy being dubbed the “Magician of Milan” by style journalist Vanessa Friedman.

“What Blazy did at Bottega was so intelligent,” explains Robb. “He introduced ‘quiet luxurious’ to the forefront, displaying that simplicity can nonetheless be thrilling.

“I think about he’ll convey an analogous power to Chanel, maybe firming down a few of the overly flashy components in favour of impeccable element and high quality. It’s about letting the craftsmanship converse for itself.”

So will Blazy be capable to revamp the normal and timeless label? “It’s by no means simple taking up a home with such a robust id,” says Robb. “The most important problem shall be maintaining Chanel’s DNA intact whereas nonetheless making it related for right this moment’s viewers.

“There’s at all times a threat of alienating purists if he goes too far in pushing boundaries, however I feel Blazy has the subtlety to tug it off.”

Whereas many see Blazy as an ideal match, some say he might push the boundaries too far on the conservative style home. “Chanel’s wealthy historical past might be each a energy and a constraint,” explains Laudort. “It is going to be crucial to keep up a steadiness between innovation and custom.

“It received’t be simple to comply with within the footsteps of Virginie Viard while upholding Karl Lagerfeld’s monumental legacy, however one can hope Blazy will be capable to carve his personal path.”

As for Blazy’s personal path? We’ll have to attend and see what that appears like.