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Chanel opts for craft over celebrity in choice of new creative chief

By choosing Matthieu Blazy, the luxury fashion house has prioritised taste and design over showmanship and name recognition

Little known outside of the industry, he was considered an underdog in a field thought to have included Marc Jacobs, Jeremy Scott, Hedi Slimane, Simon Porte Jacquemus, Pieter Mulier of Azzedine Alaïa and Pierpaolo Piccioli, whose acclaimed run at Fendi ended recently. Chanel is a symbol of glamour and fashion that is recognised and valued, not only by the small number of consumers who can afford its tweed suits and leather handbags, but by those who save up for its iconic No 5 perfume or Rouge Noir nail polish. His first Milan fashion week outing for Bottega Veneta featured a trompe l’oeil look of jeans and check shirt, worn on the catwalk by Kate Moss, later revealed to be fine leather handpainted to pass as denim and flannel.

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