She was Karl Lagerfeld’s heir at Chanel – what is behind her departure?

She was Karl Lagerfeld’s heir at Chanel – what is behind her departure?

The higher the turnover, the greater the success: The fashion house Chanel shows that this rule no longer applies. Despite strong balance sheets, the brand is parting ways with its creative director and Lagerfeld confidante Virginie Viard. The reason for this is bitter.

The sky over Marseille was grey, thick rain clouds hung over the city on the Côte d’Azur when Chanel showed its Cruise Collection here at the beginning of May. The line, once invented for rich cruise fans, was intended to create a summery atmosphere. But the show guests were sitting freezing 60 metres up on the roof of the famous Le Corbusier skyscraper “La Cité Radieuse”. Creative director Virginie Viard had chosen the building as the location for her collection, which was characterised by graphic cuts and the typical Bauhaus colours.

Although miniskirts, hoodies and pussy-bow blouses were seen, some of the dresses were reminiscent of colorful, rather old-fashioned kitchen towels, which Viard combined with flat shoes that would have been better suited to a tuxedo. Little seemed to go together that day. A feeling that was also reflected in social media. On Instagram, the criticism was almost devastating: “Ugly!”, “A disaster!”, “Whatever happened to Chanel?”

Karl Lagerfeld and Virginie Viard 2018

From intern to creative director of Chanel

A question that the management team at Chanel may also have asked themselves. Because just under a month after the Cruise Collection, the fashion brand announced that Virginie Viard had left the company. The reasons for this are not being disclosed, but it has been confirmed that the creative director will be showing her last show for the brand on June 25th.

Then an era ends. After all, Viard worked for Chanel for almost 30 years. She started as an intern in the main store on Rue Cambon, and later worked closely with Karl Lagerfeld. During his lifetime, the designer liked to say of her: “She is my right and left hand.” For many, it was therefore no surprise when Viard succeeded Lagerfeld in 2019. But unlike many designers who take over a label, she did not make a radical change, but consistently continued her mentor’s fashion legacy.

The 62-year-old shaped the brand for five years, created eight collections a year and oversaw an empire of clothes, glasses and handbags. Although she was never considered a social media darling, she was often criticized for her designs. And yet they sold. During her creative period, sales grew by a whopping 75 percent. It was only at the end of May that Chanel announced that the positive trend was continuing: in 2023, sales had increased by 16 percent to more than 18 billion euros. While the figures of rival brands such as Gucci recently plummeted by 40 percent, Chanel held its own in the luxury market despite the consumer slump.

But the brand’s strong sales also show that they are no longer a guarantee that designers like Virginie Viard will remain firmly in the saddle. Anyone who doesn’t perform well on social media and regularly triggers hysteria for popular products will quickly lose their position.

The fashion carousel is turning

Various successors have long been discussed in the industry. At the forefront: Hedi Slimane. His name has been associated with Chanel for years. Karl Lagerfeld thought highly of the French designer and even starved himself into the suits that Slimane once designed for Dior Homme. He is currently responsible for the design of the hyped cult brand Celine. But since he is in contract negotiations and has been arguing with LVMH, the brand’s parent company, about the terms for months, he could soon be free.

Pierpaolo Piccioli would also be considered for the Chanel job. For many years he created Valentino’s fashion and made the brand successful.

And the name Sarah Burton is also mentioned again and again. The Brit managed to revitalize the brand after the death of Alexander McQueen. It is unlikely, however, that she will succeed Chanel. A woman would fit well with the brand’s core, after all Chanel was once founded by a woman. But if you look around the fashion world, almost all creative director positions are currently held by men. This is another reason why Virginie Viard will be missed.

Source: Stern

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