Chanel Just Named Its New Artistic Director—9 Archival Looks I Hope He’ll Reference

It’s been over six months since Chanel parted ways with Karl Lagerfeld’s successor Virginie Viard, who had helmed the maison since his death in 2019. Speculation about her replacement has been rampant, but we can finally put all the rumors to rest. Today, the storied French house made an exciting announcement: Matthieu Blazy, formerly of Bottega Veneta, is set to take over as artistic director.

Typically, one of the first things a newly hired designer does is pore into the brand’s archives, so I decided to do the same for this story. Fashion designers may be obsessed with novelty, but they never turn down an opportunity to reference the past. What’s old is new again! In the case of Chanel, no doubt Blazy will be tasked with offering new interpretations of house codes. Keep reading to chart the evolution of two major Chanel themes ripe for reinvention.

The Evolution of Chanel’s House Codes

1. The Chanel Bride

Claudia Schiffer wowed in a Chanel wedding dress from the spring 1994 couture collection.

Devon Aoki was Karl Lagerfeld’s bride for the fall 1999 couture collection.

Irina Lazareanu was Lagerfeld’s fall 2006 couture bride.

The fall 2014 couture show included this spectacular bridal look.

2. The Chanel LBD

A dress from Karl Lagerfeld’s first-ever Chanel collection: fall 1983 couture.

This spring 1985 Chanel dress looks as relevant as ever in 2024.

Linda Evangelista modeled an LBD from Chanel’s spring 1992 couture show designed by Karl Lagerfeld.

Christy Turlington wore a black dress on Chanel’s spring 1991 runway.

Spring 2011 saw the introduction of this feathery number modeled by Sasha Pivovarova.