Everyone’s got their hot take on who will replace Virginie Viard at Chanel.
While Chanel sales are up, speculation is that’s more down to price hikes and beauty purchases than Virginie’s designs (I can verify Chanel’s skincare is the best!).
The online criticism of Virginie’s collections can’t be good for brand image, even if the heritage is seemingly bulletproof.
Many people – understandably – hark to Karl Lagerfeld’s Chanel as the benchmark and look to a return to that golden era of wit and spectacle.
But I feel Chanel is looking for a reset. The recent mega-popular exhibitions cementing Gabrielle Chanel’s original ‘garconne’ ethos, showcasing her chic, pared back designs (and even influential beauty packaging) helped to restate the timeless pre-Karl vision of Chanel. The brand needs someone who understands the house codes, yet can inject youthful modernity to boost its heritage and thus appeal to a cross-generational audience.
My money’s on Hedi Slimane. He has history with the brand as a close friend of Karl, and he clearly knows the codes. He has an innate understanding of youth culture and can bring his network of arty tastemakers to the brand campaigns, while keeping the collections highly desirable.
When can we place our bets?
WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGES: Celine AW24
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