Matthieu Blazy: Chanel’s New Legacy Keeper

Who will breathe new life into camellia, tweed and Coco’s irreverence when Chanel flies without its Kaiser? The maison, founded in 1910 and rooted in the Parisian rue Cambon, has chosen Matthieu Blazy as the heir to its creative lineage. At the age of forty, the Belgian-born designer will debut in September 2025 as Chanel’s creative director, picking up a baton that, for almost four decades, was held by Karl Lagerfeld with theatricality and rigor. Blazy, who arrives after relaunching the design and appeal of Bottega Veneta, has the challenge of reconnecting Coco’s heritage with a new contemporary sensibility and elevating the proposal of his predecessor, Virginie Viard.

Born in Paris in 1984 and raised between Brussels and Charleroi, the creative was formed in La Cambre, Belgian quarry of great talents. He left with a vision that combines architecture, emotion and gesture. He began his career at Balenciaga alongside Nicolas Ghesquière, moved on to the cult label Maison Margiela Artisanal and worked with Raf Simons at Jil Sander, Dior and Calvin Klein.

It was at Margiela that iconic Herald Tribune and Vogue editor Suzy Menkes discovered him. The expert revealed, in 2014, that the mastermind behind Artisanal’s applauded collections was none other than Blazy, until then without a signature of his own. That article unwittingly introduced him as one of the most unique voices of his generation.

In 2020 he arrived at the Kering-owned Bottega Veneta, as head of ready-to-wear. A year later, the departure of British Daniel Lee placed him at the helm of creative direction. His debut was a statement of intent: leather pants that simulated denim, dresses woven like flannel and sculptural shoes. Under his leadership, the brand surpassed 1.6 billion euros in sales in 2024 and brought the intrecciato technique back into the cultural conversation without exhibitionism or logos.

Matthieu Blazy will continue Karl Lagerfeld’s legacy at the helm of Chanel

Blazy sees fashion as a choreography for ordinary life. His garments move naturally: blanket coats, bags like portable sculptures, leather that falls like knitwear. This sensitivity, combined with respect for savoir-faire, has seduced the Wertheimer family, owners of Chanel, who see in him the ability to reinterpret the codes with a new voice and without stridency.

Blazy’s debut will come with the spring-summer 2026 collection, which he will present at the Grand Palais Éphémère. He is expected to revamp tweed with relaxed sensuality, introduce earthy tones and strengthen the collaboration with Métiers d’Art, a pillar of the house’s craftsmanship. His new challenge will be to transform iconic symbols into objects of desire for new generations without betraying the essence of Coco.

A quiet visionary and obsessive about detail, Blazy is emerging as the perfect link between Chanel’s heritage and a future that demands genuine emotion. His next choreography is about to begin; the stage, like his legacy, could be eternal.