Summary
- Matthieu Blazy is the new Artistic Director at Chanel, overseeing haute couture, ready-to-wear and accessories collections.
- Chanel’s choice signals a strategic shift: placing value on internal talent, deep design thinking and heritage reinterpretation.
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When a fashion house like Chanel hands the keys to one of the most coveted creative roles in the industry, designers everywhere take note. With the announcement of Matthieu Blazy, the conversation turned quickly. It went from “who will it be” to “what will he do”.
Now the question for Chanel is how Blazy will make his mark while preserving the house’s identity. How will tweed and camellia evolve under his vision?
He takes the helm knowing that creativity must respect the house’s codes and yet still push them forward. In the text ahead, you’ll discover more about his journey, aesthetic signature and creative values.
Happy reading!
Sumário
Who is Matthieu Blazy?
Matthieu Blazy is a Franco-Belgian designer born in Paris. He grew up in an environment rich in the arts: his father was an art expert and his mother a historian.
He studied at the art and fashion school La Cambre in Brussels, combining liberal arts and practical atelier work. After graduation he embarked on a career working alongside key players in fashion. This gave the designer a reputation for blending craftsmanship with innovation.
In December 2024, Blazy was named the Artistic Director of Chanel. He stepped into the role previously held by notable figures including Karl Lagerfeld and Virginie Viard.
His appointment marks the beginning of a new chapter for Chanel. One where heritage and reinterpretation go hand in hand. For fashion designers, his trajectory offers a compelling case study: how to respect legacy while pushing boundaries.
Read more: All you need to know about German designer Karl Lagerfeld
Which brands has Matthieu Blazy designed for?
Here’s an overview of the designer’s career path through the major houses where he has worked:
Maison Margiela
During his tenure at Maison Margiela, Blazy contributed significantly to the Artisanal line and ready-to-wear collections.
This line is famous for its experimental, concept-driven approach, and Blazy embraced that opportunity to practice creative freedom. One of his standout moments was designing crystal-encrusted masks worn by Kanye West on his 2013-14 tour.
At Margiela he honed a language of deconstruction and rethinking materials, which remains part of his signature today.
That experience also taught him the value of subtlety. When you work behind the scenes of a famous label, innovation often happens through detail rather than spectacle.
Read more: Discover the history and main criteria of haute couture
Raf Simons
Blazy’s professional training started with Raf Simons, who hired him after his graduate collection at La Cambre. At Simons’ menswear line, Blazy worked on tailoring and developing patterns. This formed the foundation of his understanding of structure and precision.
The bold yet precise geometry he introduced during this time would reappear later in his creations.
Working under a mentor like Simons also taught him the value of a consistent vision. One that allowed him to later take leadership roles while maintaining coherence across a design ecosystem.
Céline
At Céline during the Phoebe Philo era, Blazy served as Senior Designer, working on the women’s pre-collections. This period deepened his understanding of quiet luxury: refined silhouettes, restrained details, and an emphasis on wearability.
The brand cultivated the idea of the garment as a companion to the wearer, not just a showpiece. Blazy absorbed that ethos and began integrating subtle experimentation within what might appear minimal at first glance.
Read more: Why invest in the quiet luxury trend to create a collection?
Calvin Klein
Blazy joined Calvin Klein in 2016 as Design Director of women’s ready-to-wear. This role gave him exposure to large scale global production and marketing dynamics.
At Calvin Klein, he had to reconcile his design ideals with the commercial imperatives of a brand with a global reach. The environment challenged him to scale ideas without diluting their identity.
While his time at Calvin Klein ended around 2019, the experience reinforced the importance of balancing vision and practicality.
Bottega Veneta
At Bottega Veneta, Blazy first became Design Director of ready-to-wear in 2020. Then, Creative Director in late 2021. He reinterpreted the brand’s famed “intrecciato” leather technique and introduced pieces like trompe-l’oeil denim leather pants.
He also adopted a craft-led creative model: bringing the artisan to the center of the design process. The goal was shrinking hierarchical distance and emphasizing texture and movement.
The success he achieved at Bottega Veneta built his profile and directly led to his appointment at Chanel. It demonstrated that heritage need not mean stasis, and that newness can emerge through craftsmanship rather than just spectacle.
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What defines Matthieu Blazy’s design style?
His work carries a clear artistic fingerprint, rarely relying on loud theatrics or excess. Instead, they reveal depth through construction, materials, and intention.
At every stage of his career, Blazy has shown that fashion can be expressive without being overwhelming.
Focus on craftsmanship, texture, and movement
The designer treats garments almost like architectural forms. Seams, reinforcements, and finishing techniques become part of the visual language. This focus comes from years working inside ateliers where technique was essential.
Texture also plays a defining role in how he communicates ideas. It could be through trompe-l’œil leather disguised as denim or woven fabrics that appear almost three-dimensional. He uses materiality to create curiosity.
His pieces often invite a second look because they reveal new details. The tactile experience matters just as much as the visual one.
Movement is another key component. Rather than creating rigid garments, he designs clothing that responds to the body. His runway looks often highlight how fabric behaves when walking, not just how it looks while standing still.
Read more: Meet 8 iconic fashion designers of the moment to inspire you
Blending tradition with innovation
He respects the history of the houses he joins, yet never treats tradition as something untouchable. In fact, he sees it as a foundation to reinterpret.
His previous collections show how codes and archives can become tools rather than constraints. This balance allows him to speak to the past and the future at the same time.
Innovation in his process isn’t always about technology. Often, it emerges through reinterpretation. For example, his ability to take a classic technique and shift its context creates a quiet but powerful evolution.
This type of innovation feels natural, not forced, making his work relevant without losing timelessness.
Read more: 5 reasons why fashion houses should innovate with quality
A vision rooted in identity and authenticity
Matthieu Blazy creates pieces that allow wearers to express themselves in subtle and meaningful ways.
Authenticity is equally important. He avoids empty spectacle: when the designer introduces a bold detail or unusual silhouette, it has a purpose.
His work reflects a belief that fashion must feel sincere, emotionally and technically, to resonate. This is why his collections often feel intimate, even when presented on grand runways.
The Matthieu Blazy era at Chanel
Matthieu Blazy’s arrival at Chanel marks the beginning of a significant transition. The creative role he now holds has previously belonged to designers who left distinct marks on the fashion landscape.
Stepping into this legacy requires confidence and sensibility. And he arrives at a moment when the industry seeks depth over noise.
His understanding of how to merge heritage with quiet transformation suggests that Chanel may enter a phase of refinement. Iconic elements like tweed, the camellia, and the little black dress will likely remain central. But maybe interpreted through new construction methods, materials, or unexpected silhouettes.
This era has the potential to redefine what modern luxury looks like. Blazy’s work suggests a future grounded in authenticity, precision, and emotional connection.
It may be subtle, thoughtful, and deeply crafted: the kind of transformation that feels inevitable once it arrives.
Read more: 12 must-listen fashion podcasts for designers
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FAQ
Matthieu Blazy is a Franco-Belgian designer born in Paris. In December 2024, Blazy was named the Artistic Director of Chanel.
They include Maison Margiela, Raf Simons, Céline, Calvin Klein, and Bottega Veneta.
Focus on craftsmanship, texture, and movement, blending tradition with innovation, and a vision rooted in identity and authenticity.
