Virginie Viard, the artistic director of Chanel, has announced her departure from the iconic fashion house after five years at the helm. Viard, who was hand-picked by the late Karl Lagerfeld as his successor, took on the role in 2019 following Lagerfeld's passing. Her appointment brought a sense of continuity to the brand, as she had worked closely with Lagerfeld throughout his 35-year tenure, with the designer once describing her as both his "left and right arm."
Navigating a Delicate Transition
Viard's time as artistic director came during a sensitive period for Chanel, as the brand grappled with the loss of its longtime visionary, Karl Lagerfeld. Despite the challenges, Viard successfully steered the house through this transition, with Chanel's sales surging to nearly $20 billion in 2023, a testament to her commercial acumen.
A Distinctive Aesthetic
While Viard’s collections were commercially successful, her aesthetic often differed significantly from Lagerfeld’s disruptive designs. Her attempts to make Chanel feel younger and more contemporary sometimes fell flat among critics. However, her collections, rich in historical reference and imagination, often transported viewers. For instance, her recent Fall/Winter 2024 collection evoked the promenade of Deauville where Coco Chanel opened her first shop. Chanel confirmed her departure in a statement to Vogue Business: “Chanel confirms the departure of Virginie Viard after a rich collaboration of five years as artistic director of fashion collections.”
The Future of Chanel
As the fashion world awaits the announcement of Chanel’s new creative director, many are speculating about who will lead the creative vision of the world’s second-largest luxury brand. With recent shake-ups in the industry, including the departures of Sarah Burton from Alexander McQueen and Pierpaolo Piccioli from Valentino, the pool of potential successors is both intriguing and diverse. Models.com even cites rumors that Heidi Slimane will soon depart his post at Celine.
A Final Bow
Despite Viard’s departure, Chanel’s upcoming couture presentation in Paris this June will proceed as planned. It remains to be seen whether Viard will take her final bow at this event, marking the end of her remarkable 30-year journey with the house.
A Broader Industry Shift
Viard’s departure from Chanel is part of a broader shift within the fashion industry, which is increasingly prioritizing commercialism and safety over creativity, innovation, and risk-taking. This trend reflects a growing emphasis on financial performance and marketability, often at the expense of the bold and avant-garde designs that have historically driven fashion forward.
As Chanel embarks on this new chapter, the fashion world eagerly anticipates the reveal of the brand’s new creative direction and the exciting possibilities that lie ahead for this enduring symbol of luxury and style.