Chanel Artistic Director Virginie Viard To Step Down
Virginie Viard is stepping down as artistic director at Chanel after five hears at the helm, the house confirmed on Wednesday night.
Viard, famously press shy, was the longtime right hand of Karl Lagerfeld, handpicked to succeed him at Chanel after his death in 2019. She was also one of the few female creative directors to lead a big luxury brand, working in an heavily male-dominated industry.
Chanel, the world’s second largest luxury house, thanked the designer for 'her remarkable contribution' to the brand's 'fashion, creativity and vitality', in a statement shared with ELLE.
'She was able to renew the codes of the House while respecting the creative heritage of Chanel,' the statement read. A successor has not been announced.
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Viard’s departure is the latest in a string of shake ups across the industry. Earlier this year, longtime Valentino creative director Pier Paolo Piccioli exited the brand after 25 years, succeeded by former Gucci designer Alessandro Michele, whose hotly anticipated catwalk debut it set to be revealed during Milan Fashion Week this autumn.
That same week, Dries van Noten also announced he was exiting his namesake label, news that came hot on the heels of an announcement from Walter Chiapponi that he was Blumarine after just one season. Rumors are also swirling that Hedi Slimane may soon be exiting as creative director of Celine.
The sudden news of Viard’s departure set off speculation that Piccioli, Slimane or Sarah Burton, the longtime creative director at Alexander Mcqueen who exited the label last year, may be next in line to take over the storied French house.
The news comes just one month after Chanel’s Cruise show extravaganza in Marseille, hosted at the city's famed Cité Radieuse. Chanel’s couture show is set to go ahead as planned at the end of the month.
This story was updated to include a statement from Chanel.
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