Two noble luxury houses, alike in dignity (and coveted accessories), have just appointed new creative directors after months of speculation.
On Dec. 12, Bottega Veneta confirmed in a press release the long-swirling rumors that creative director Matthieu Blazy would step down. Within hours, both his successor and new role were announced. Blazy is moving to Paris from Milan—specifically to serve as Chanel's "Artistic Director of Fashion Activities," a role that has been vacant since Karl Lagerfeld protégé Virginie Viard left the label in June 2024. Back in Milan, former Carven and Lacoste creative director Louise Trotter is taking over the top spot at Bottega. Both designers will start their new roles in January 2025.
Bottega Veneta's CEO, Leo Rongone, welcomed Trotter and thanked Blazy in a statement on Thursday morning.
"Her aesthetic seamlessly combines exquisite design with sublime craft and her commitment to cultural advocacy aligns beautifully with our brand vision," Rongone said of Trotter. "Through her sophisticated lens, Bottega Veneta will continue to celebrate its heritage while preserving modern relevance. I also want to express my profound appreciation for Matthieu, who has been an extraordinary partner in infusing our brand with desirability, emotional resonance, and intellectual identity.”
Indeed, Blazy's three-year tenure at Bottega Veneta has made an outsize impact that bodes well for Chanel's cool-factor. He has an almost magician-like ability to warp and construct leather into unexpected shapes (most famously, a photorealistic "flannel" and "jeans" modeled by Kate Moss). Off the runway, his takes on the woven Andiamo bag and drop earrings became viral essentials among celebrities from Kendall Jenner to Hailey Bieber and even Jacob Elordi. Bottega Veneta is currently in the top ten of fashion index Lyst's hottest brands; it's also one of the highest-grossing brands by revenue in its owner, Kering's, portfolio. No doubt Blazy will bring a fresh (and lucrative) eye to Chanel's house codes of tweed, quilted leather, and double-C logos.
Even with such a wide-ranging résumé, it's Trotter's appointment from Carven to Blazy's former post that's worth examining more closely.
In her last role at Carven, a post she held for nearly two years, Trotter revitalized the brand "as a minimalist’s haven of accessible but plush luxury," according to the New York Times. Now, she's bound to make an even more historic impression upon Bottega Veneta. The house has not had a women at the helm since the 1980s, when Laura Braggion ran the business with her husband, Vittorio Moltedo, until the mid-1990s. When she's fully integrated into the team, she'll be the only female creative director at a Kering brand. (Other designers owned by the conglomerate include Saint Laurent, Gucci, and McQueen.)
Luxury fashion has been in a marathon round of creative director musical chairs. In addition to Virginie Viard's exit from Chanel earlier this year, Kaia Gerber-favorite Celine lead Hedi Slimane stepped down, while the top slot at Fendi is currently vacant. Just yesterday, Dec. 11, John Galliano shared he too would step down from his post at Maison Margiela.
While women are the top clients at many of these labels, female designers aren't often chosen to lead them. The 2023 Vogue Business Index reported that only eight of 33 top creative director roles were filled by women. The faces of major luxury houses most often skew white and male (as with fashion, so too with most other industries). Exceptions to the rule usually come up in more consolidated markets, like Copenhagen Fashion Week's small-but-mighty schedule, where 63 percent of the participating brands have female creative directors.
All these vacancies and insider job trading on the luxury circuit can feel far removed from the commercial collections that land in boutiques and, eventually, exert trickle-down influence on mass brands. But as Blazy himself proved with his best-selling collections and celebrity-favorite pieces, the right person, at the right brand and the right time, can powerfully shape culture's definition of luxury, style, and aspiration.
Design talent has never been confined to a single gender. But with so few women designing for women at fashion's most powerful luxury houses, it's refreshing to see someone who truly understands the customer leading at least one more brand. I for one look forward to Louise Trotter's Bottega Veneta—and hope more women will be given the same chance to fill other highly-coveted posts.
