After 30 years at Chanel, the successor of Karl Lagerfeld steps down.
Virginie Viard, who served as Karl Lagerfeld's confidante and became his successor at Chanel, is stepping down from her post as the Creative Director of the luxury fashion house. This information was confirmed by Chanel in a statement to "Vogue Business." According to Viard herself, a new chapter is about to begin for the brand.
Chanel has acknowledged Viard's departure and her successful five-year stint as the artistic director of the collections, during which she managed to uphold the standards of the house while maintaining its creative legacy. They thanked her for her "remarkable contribution to fashion, creativity, and vitality at Chanel."
Viard was appointed as the artistic director in 2019, following Lagerfeld's death. She had worked with him since the beginning of her career as an intern in 1987. She then moved with him to Chloé in 1992 and then joined Chanel in 1997 where she was in charge of Haute Couture. Lagerfeld held her in high regard, fondly referring to her as his "right and left hand." Chanel has not yet revealed who will take over from Viard as the creative director.
The Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2024/25 collection, as planned, will be showcased on June 25th at the Opera Garnier in Paris. The Paris Fashion Week is scheduled for September 23rd to October 1st, where the Spring/Summer 2025 collections will be displayed. This implies that Chanel needs to appoint a successor promptly to present their own designs at the event if they plan to do so.
Alternatively, the studio team that has been working with Viard recently could develop the collection without a designated leader. This is a common practice in the industry when a new designer or design team has not yet been established. Recently, Givenchy also made use of teamwork to fill the void left by Matthew Williams' departure.
There's been a lot of speculation in the fashion world about possible candidates who could fill Viard's shoes. One name being mentioned is Hedi Slimane who is currently working at Celine. However, he's more renowned for his men's fashion designs, which Lagerfeld admired. Another potential candidate is Pierpaolo Piccioli, the former Valentino chief designer. Fashion enthusiasts are also anticipating Sarah Burton, who became the Creative Director of Alexander McQueen in 2023.
