Photo Credit: Marc Piasecki
Virginie Viard is stepping down from her role as Chanel’s artistic director of fashion collections, a position she has held for five years following the death of Karl Lagerfeld in 2019. Viard’s departure marks the end of an era for the French luxury house, where she had worked for almost three decades.
Chanel confirmed Viard’s exit in a statement to CNN, praising her ability to renew the house’s codes while honoring its creative heritage. "She was able to renew the codes of the house while respecting the creative heritage of Chanel", the statement read. Chanel
has not yet named her successor but promised an announcement "in due course". The brand also expressed gratitude for Viard’s "remarkable contribution to Chanel’s fashion, creativity, and vitality".
Under Viard’s leadership, Chanel experienced significant growth. Leena Nair, Chanel’s CEO, recently told The Business of Fashion that since Viard took over, the fashion business has multiplied by 2.2 times, with the ready-to-wear segment growing by 2.5 times and a 23% increase in 2023 alone. Chanel’s earnings rose 16% to $19.7 billion last year.
Viard, who began her career at Chanel as an intern in 1987, became Lagerfeld’s deputyand was famously described by him as “my right arm and my left arm.” Her appointment as artistic director in 2019 was seen as a natural progression, ensuring the continuity of Gabrielle Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld’s legacy.
The announcement of Viard’s departure comes amid a series of high-profile changes in the fashion industry. In March, Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli left the Italian label, succeeded by Alessandro Michele, formerly of Gucci. Last September, Sarah Burton stepped down from Alexander McQueen.
Chanel is set to stage a runway show at Paris Haute Couture Week in June, expected to be Viard’s final collection for the brand. The fashion world will be watching closely to see who will step into one of the industry’s most prestigious roles.
