awkward Just three weeks have passed since Virginie Viard, Chanel’s creative director, abruptly left the company after nearly thirty years of service. On Tuesday, the brand will host its haute couture show. Before assuming leadership following Karl Lagerfeld’s passing in 2019, Viard collaborated with the renowned designer for many years.
Last year, she managed record revenues of around $20 billion. However, suspicions and cynical smirks from the front row, along with whispers that her concerts were becoming monotonous, had been building for months.
The problem came to a head in May when a mid-season “cruise” show in Marseille failed to win over spectators. The unusually cold Cote d’Azur weather did not help either.
“What in the world is happening? Poor fabric and cut quality? The shoes?!” objected a user on the internet. Another referred to it as “lazy”.
A month later, Viard’s exit was made known to the specialized media in the middle of the night in less than tasteful fashion. It was eventually disclosed that Viard’s final couture presentation would be managed by her team without her even being there.
Designer Lutz Huelle, who is based in Paris, told AFP he understood her predicament. “Regardless of what anyone thinks about her work of the last five years, she found herself in the far-from-simple situation of having to, from one day to the next, replace one of the biggest and best-loved designers at the biggest brand in the world — a literally impossible task,” he stated. “I can’t imagine Karl working with someone for all these years without that person doing a great job,” he said.
Even though Viard was just the third creative director in Chanel’s 114-year history—after Lagerfeld and the brand’s creator, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel—her job was first viewed as a temporary one.
Known for his outrageous remarks, “The Kaiser” was a far more conspicuous presence than her, who was always dressed simply in black pants and a T-shirt. Her performances were far less grandiose than Lagerfeld’s extravaganzas, and critics frequently criticized her choices and trims.
Despite this, customers continued to pour into Chanel boutiques; last year’s sales increased 14.6% to $19.7 billion. Viard’s five-year term saw a 23 percent growth in sales of ready-to-wear.
According to Business of Fashion, “it underscored the fact the brand is much stronger than the individual designer.”
Now, the fashion industry turns to its favorite past time: making predictions about who will succeed. One of the names making the rounds is Hedi Slimane (Celine), who is well-known for his rocker style. This suggests that she may make her first foray into menswear.
French designers Simon Porte Jacquemus and Marine Serre, who have both achieved remarkable success with their own businesses, are other options. Potential contenders include British designer Sarah Burton, who created Princess Catherine’s wedding gown, and Pierpaolo Piccioli, who departed Valentino four months ago.
