The winter day of Thursday, December 12, 2024, felt surprisingly ordinary. The skies were overcast, and France was still on edge, awaiting the announcement of a new prime minister. Meanwhile, the fashion industry was buzzing with anticipation over the forthcoming appointment of Chanel’s artistic director, a role that had remained vacant for nearly six months.
At approximately 3 pm, the usual calm was disrupted by a tweet from New York Times journalist Vanessa Friedman on X: “The fashion dominos have started to tumble. Carven has revealed that designer Louise Trotter will depart, her final day set for January 24. Two more significant brand announcements are likely to come today… stay tuned…”
Almost instantly, her tweet garnered 81,000 views. Just the day prior, John Galliano had penned a heartfelt letter announcing his farewell from Maison Margiela after a decade. It became evident to all that one of these anticipated “two big brands” could undoubtedly be Chanel, a monumental name in the fashion landscape.
An unprecedented situation
For a month, Matthieu Blazy, a 40-year-old Franco-Belgian designer, had been a contender for the luxury sector’s most sought-after role. This speculation originated on November 16 when the fashion publication Miss Tweed proclaimed: “Matthieu Blazy is a leading candidate for Chanel,” shortly followed by a similar confirmation from the American outlet WWD, indicating that Blazy, previously the creative head at Bottega Veneta and the key driver behind its current success within the Kering Group, could be on the verge of securing this prestigious position. What began as mere speculation amidst a flurry of rumors had transformed into a credible proposition that rippled through editorial offices, social media, rival luxury brands’ headquarters, and even the atrium of Chanel on Rue Cambon in Paris, where employees had recently gathered for much-anticipated staff sales.
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