Virginie Viard leaves Chanel after 30 years at the fashion house, including five years as creative director.
The French luxury fashion brand confirmed its departure in a press release to The Hollywood Reporter Wednesday: “Chanel confirms the departure of Virginie Viard after a rich collaboration of five years as artistic director of fashion collections, during which she knew how to renew the codes of the house while respecting the creative heritage of Chanel, and nearly of 30 years within the house.”
“A new creative organization will be announced in due course,” the statement continued. “Chanel would like to thank Virginie Viard for her remarkable contribution to fashion, creativity and the vitality of Chanel.”
Chanel has not yet announced who will take over this role.
Viard first joined the fashion house in 1987 and worked alongside his predecessor, Karl Lagerfeld, for several years. Following the creator’s death in 2019, Viard was named creative director. She is the third artistic director of Chanel since the creation of the house in 1910, after Lagerfeld and Coco Chanel herself.
During her tenure, the fashion house has collaborated with a handful of celebrity brand ambassadors, including actresses Kristen Stewart, Keira Knightley, Penelope Cruz and Lily-Rose Depp, Blackpink member Jennie, actor Timothée Chalamet and, more recently, actress-singer Riley Keough.
Chanel’s Fall/Winter 2024/25 haute couture collection will still be presented as planned on June 25 at the Opéra Garnier in Paris.
