Chanel has announced that Virginie Viard will now be in charge of its collections’ design, following the death of Karl Lagerfeld.
Viard is in charge of Chanel’s fashion design studio, and was Lagerfeld’s right hand women, meaning there will be some continuity going forward.
It is said that Chanel arranged the succession agreement with Lagerfeld himself before he passed.
It is yet to be seen how the appointment of Viard will impact the brand. It will either drive the brand into expansion, or bring a period of instability.
It is thought that Viard could step down for the brand to bring in an external creative director, with rumours that Celine’s former creative director, Phoebe Philo, could be on the cards as the long term replacement.
