Matthieu Blazy to Chanel and Louise Trotter to Bottega Veneta
Bottega Veneta has announced that its creative director, Matthieu Blazy, is stepping down. The announcement comes just hours after the news that his rumored replacement, Louise Trotter, was leaving her role at the helm of Carven. But wait a minute. Now, a mere thirty minutes or so after those announcements, Trotter was named as Creative Director of Bottega Veneta and Blazy was just named as the Creative Director for Chanel. Whew. Got that? A truly wild hour for the game of designer musical chairs!
Upon the announcement, Blazy wrote a short and sweet statement, which he posted on his Instagram account: "To the wonderful Bottega teams, thank you for the great adventure."
Before taking the top job at Bottega Veneta in 2021, Blazy, born and raised in Paris, held internships at Balenciaga and John Galliano during his time in school at La Cambre. Raf Simons hired Blazy just after he graduated, and later, he went on to hold design positions at Maison Margiela, Celine under Phoebe Philo, and Calvin Klein. He worked as design director of ready-to-wear at Bottega Veneta for one year before becoming creative director.
Blazy's tenure at Bottega Veneta has been a triumph. His collections consistently delighted with playful and provocative clothes and accessories that borrowed from the house's past but pushed their classic codes further into the future. Dedicated to the craftsmanship that is the beating heart of Bottega, Blazy designed for a new kind of luxury archetype—people who love the essence of fashion rather than logos, and those who desire both form and function, not one or the other. His pieces often tricked the eye, like his work shirt and jeans each made entirely from leather, or his Intrecciato woven bags that mimicked the look and feel of banana leaf. Blazy's shows for Bottega Veneta challenged viewers to look closer, travel farther, and dream bigger. No doubt he'll do exactly that at Chanel.
Trotter's tenure at Carven has been all about a kind of sharply cool sophistication, and she makes a lot of sense to take the reins at Bottega because of that design vernacular. Trotter, who formerly worked as Creative Director for Joseph and Lacoste, said in a statement via Bottega Veneta's parent company Kering: "The house's storied legacy of artistry and innovation is truly inspiring, and I am excited to contribute to its future and celebrate its timeless vision."
Indeed, even with the head-spinning timing of announcements, these two incredible talents are no doubt going to set definitive new eras for both Bottega Veneta and Chanel.
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