People

For the great luxury houses, it's terribly important to be embodied by a strong, talented personality.

Big names in luxury regularly announce, sometimes discreetly, at times loudly, the name of their new artistic director. Fortunately, it can also be a woman, such as feminist Maria Grazia Chiuri, who currently presides over the destiny of Dior after seventeen years at Valentino alongside Pierpaolo Piccoli.

A few days ago, another heady rumour was officially confirmed. After a decade at the helm of Maison Margiela, English designer John Galliano has packed his bags. No word yet on who will replace him, but as usual, rumors are rife. In our humble opinion - and this is as much a wish as a vow - the candidacy of Belgian Glenn Martens deserves particular attention. Not only is he perfectly familiar with the world of Martin Margiela (who sold his business in 2009), but he already works for Diesel, another brand owned by Renzo Russo, Margiela's current Italian owner. The outcome remains to be seen!

But back to the appointment of Franco-Belgian Matthieu Blazy at Chanel. As is often the case at the Rue Cambon fashion house in Paris, discretion is the order of the day. While Coco Chanel, for her part, wasn't sparing with her dubious friendships, brothers Alain and Gérard Wertheimer have always avoided unnecessary publicity and the limelight. They always prefer to slip away discreetly at the end of shows for a  which they remain co-owners of. There are very few photos of them. A rarity!

A graduate of La Cambre Mode/s/ in Brussels in 2007, Matthieu Blazy first got into the game whe he started working alongside Raf Simons, then at Maison Margiela, notably on the Artisanal collection, an attempt to modernize the concept of couture. Since 2021, he has helped Bottega Veneta, a house of Venetian origin belonging to the Kering group, not only to regain its aura, but also to significantly increase its sales. In all decorum, among civil and courteous people, Bottega Veneta made Matthieu's departure official late yesterday afternoon, before Chanel made his induction official early this evening. 

Without getting carried away, the Franco-Belgian Matthieu Blazy is far from being the first to bring a Plat Pays fragrance to Chanel. Back in 2006, Laetitia Crahay, also an a La Cambre Mode/s/ alumna, convinced Karl Lagerfeld to hire her. She went on to manage jewelry and accessories for 10 years. She then joined her friend Anthony Vaccarello at Saint Laurent. Other Belgians have also contributed to the Chanel edifice. Antwerp-based make-up artist Peter Philips also brought his vision to Chanel make-up for a decade. Today,

he works for Christian Dior. 

All the best to Matthieu Blazy at Chanel!

(MH with AK - Photos: © Catwalkpictures)

Photos: (1) Matthieu Blazy greets the public at the end of the Bottega Veneta spring-summer 2025 show in Milan (Italy) on September 21, 2024 and (2) Chanel spring-summer 2025 show finale for its return to the Grand Palais in Paris (France) on October 1, 2024.