Chanel names Matthieu Blazy artistic director as sales surge 16%

In December 2024 Chanel announced French‑Belgian designer Matthieu Blazy as its new artistic director, the first external appointment since Karl Lagerfeld. Blazy, 42, replaces Virginie Viard, who led the house for five years after joining as an intern in 1987. He describes his approach as “I always try to go where my heart beats.”

Since Blazy’s first collection debuted in October 2025, Chanel’s sales have reportedly risen 16% year‑to‑date, with the United States showing the strongest growth of over 25%. Watches and fine jewellery sales jumped about 35%, driven by the Coco Crush line, while fragrance and beauty revenues increased roughly 8%. The luxury group, owned by brothers Alain and Gérard Wertheimer, has not officially confirmed the figures, but Bloomberg sources cite strong performance across all markets, including China and the Middle East.