Virginie Viard is stepping down as creative director at after five hears at the helm, the house confirmed on Wednesday night. Viard, famously press shy, was the longtime right hand of , handpicked to succeed him at Chanel after his death in 2019. She was also one of the few female creative directors to lead a big luxury brand, working in an heavily male-dominated industry.
Chanel, the world’s second largest luxury brand, thanked the designer for 'a rich collaboration of five years' in a statement to , which was the first to break the news. 'She was able to renew the codes of the House while respecting the creative heritage of Chanel, and almost thirty years within the House,' the statement read. A successor has not been announced.
Viard’s departure is the latest in a string of shake ups across the industry. Earlier this year, longtime Valentino creative director after 25 years, , whose hotly anticipated catwalk debut it set to be revealed during Milan Fashion Week this autumn. That same week, also announced he was , news that came hot on the heels of an announcement from Walter Chiapponi that he was Blumarine after just one season.
Rumors are also swirling that Hedi Slimane may soon be exiting as creative director of Celine. The sudden news of Viard’s departure set off speculation that Piccioli, Slimane or Sarah Burton, the longtime creative director at Alexander Mcqueen who exited the label last year, may be next in line to take over the storied French house. The news .
