Chanel has announced the departure of Virginie Viard as the company’s creative director, ending her time overseeing the placement of the fashion house’s logo buttons and handbag chains. “Chanel confirms the departure of Virginie Viard after a rich collaboration,” officials shared in a statement with Vogue Business on Wednesday. “She was able to renew the codes of the house while respecting the creative heritage of Chanel.
” Outgoing Chanel creative director Virginie Viard receives applause at the Cruise collection show held in the French city of Marseilles last month; Viard with her predecessor Karl Lagerfeld in 2018. Credit: Getty “Chanel would like to thank Virginie Viard for her remarkable contribution to Chanel’s fashion, creativity and vitality.” Viard’s five-year stint came after the death of her predecessor Karl Lagerfeld in 2019.
Lagerfeld successfully grabbed headlines with hemlines and extravagant clothes for more than 35 years. The label’s founder, Coco Chanel, dominated haute couture for six decades since she began the company in 1910. Viard’s departure follows lukewarm reviews of her recent collections.
While Chanel has remained highly profitable, with revenues rising by 16 per cent to $US19.7 billion ($29.5 billion) in 2023, its red carpet heat has cooled compared to brands such Loewe, Balenciaga, Schiaparelli and Valentino.
Anna Wintour, Margot Robbie and Phoebe Tonkin in the front row at Chanel in 2019. Credit: Getty Even the profile of .
