The Race to Chanel: 6 Designers We’d Like To See As Chanel’s New Creative Director
These are the designers rumored to replace Virginie Viard. Who should take on Fashion’s most coveted role?
It’s been a year full of sudden announcements and changes in the fashion industry. Kim Jones left Fendi, Pierpaolo Piccioli left Valentino, Hedi Slimane left Celine, and most shocking of all, Chanel parted ways with Virginie Viard after five years of her reign, leaving one of fashion’s highest ranking jobs vacant.
Without much detail, Chanel stated that “a new creative organization will be announced in due course. Chanel would like to thank Virginie Viard for her remarkable contribution to Chanel’s fashion, creativity and vitality.” Viard has been Lagerfeld’s right hand woman since the late ’80s, starting out as an intern at Chanel in 1987 and following him to Chloé, and then back to Chanel in 2000 to take charge of its ready-to-wear. She took over his Creative Director position when he passed in 2019. Lagerfeld had been with Chanel for 36 years compared to Viard’s five.
Since her first season taking charge, Viard’s vision of Chanel was not received well among the industry. Cathy Horyn, the Fashion Critic-at-Large for The Cut, wrote in her review of Chanel’s Cruise 2023 show that “the problem was the clothes.”
Season after season, Viard’s collections were met with more criticism. General consensus was that her clothes were boring, ill-fitting, and not up to par with Lagerfeld’s grand vision. Despite this, Chanel’s sales numbers increased year over year. In 2023, the Parisian house saw a 16-percent overall growth in sales—but this was partially driven by the brand’s record price increases as well as by consumers returning to pre-Covid shopping patterns.
Viard’s last collection for Chanel was Cruise ‘24/25. The following Fall ‘24 couture show was put together by the label’s collective design team, returning to its house codes: classic tweed suiting, femininity, and a generally more reserved tone than Viard’s attempt at inserting more casual youthfulness to the brand.
Chanel is taking its time to choose its next captain. Below are six designers who are either rumored for the role, or who we’d simply like to see fill it. We break down each of their track records and what we could expect them to bring to the maison, should they be elected.
Marc Jacobs
Based in: New York, NY
Years active: 39 years
Prior brands: Perry Ellis (1988-1992), Louis Vuitton (1997-2014), Marc Jacobs (1984-Present)
At Louis Vuitton in 1997, Marc Jacob became the first American designer to helm a French fashion house. Before Jacobs, there was no ready-to-wear at Louis Vuitton—he was responsible for popularizing the brand’s offering beyond bags and travel accessories, and under his leadership, Vuitton’s business flourished in the arenas of apparel, watches, jewelry, and even fragrances. Inviting collaborators like Takashi Murakami, Yayoi Kusama, and Pharrell, Jacobs catapulted LV into the younger generation’s radar in the ’90s. It’s clear from his success at LV that Jacobs is more than capable of handling a big maison.
And while resonating with a much younger demographic through his diffusion line Heaven, Jacobs has also succeeded in making his mainline collection relevant to a new generation of social media users. His brand managed to run the most memorable fashion campaigns of the year through a series of viral user-generated content on TikTok. At Chanel, he’s sure to bring a new wave of excitement and relevancy to the classic house.
In his interview with the Wall Street Journal this past October, Jacobs was asked about a potential relocation to Paris, and joked that he had not been contacted by Chanel yet—but he asked long-time friend Sofia Coppola to put in a good word for him.
Simon Porte Jacquemus
Based in: Paris, France
Years active: 14 years
Prior brands: Jacquemus (2009-Present)
Rumored to already have interviewed for the position according to Lauren Sherman on Puck, Simon Porte Jacquemus feels like a top contender for the job. Since founding his eponymous brand in 2014, Jacquemus has stayed true to his distinct brand identity, in both design and image. His earlier work focuses on playful, geometric designs—giant circular sun hats and shoes with mismatching heels—all spiritually encapsulated in the sunny French Riviera.
Jacquemus has received praise for not only his collections but also for his visual branding, whether it’s his campaigns, fashion show productions, or pop-up events. From the iconic bambino bags roaming the streets of Paris as buses and croissant-shaped earrings set next to a plate of butter, his social media-savvy brand presents a colorful and dreamy world that deeply resonates with his clientele. He also happens to be the youngest on this list—appointing a young designer who already has a mania following of his own could bring Chanel a freshness that it desperately needs.
Hedi Slimane
Based in: Paris, France
Years active: 31 years
Prior brands: Dior (2000-2007), Saint Laurent (2012-2016), Celine (2018-2024)
A legendary figure in fashion, Hedi Slimane spearheaded skinny silhouettes at Saint Laurent in the 2010s. In early October, LVMH announced that Slimane and Celine had decided to part ways, which left the designer available for the job at Chanel. When Slimane took over at Celine in 2018, after Phoebe Philo’s decade-long tenure, his choices for the brand were met with massive objection. Slimane’s design aesthetic was a stark contrast to Philo’s—edgy, punk, and goth—and some criticized that he plagiarized much of his own designs from his days at Saint Laurent. Despite this, Celine’s sales kept climbing under Slimane’s direction, surpassing 2 billion euros in 2023, thanks in part to the brand’s inclusion of a diverse range of ambassadors such as Lisa of Blackpink.
The idea of an edgy Chanel is indeed intriguing, especially if it's Hedi Slimane leading the way. Slimane was the pioneer of Indie Sleaze, first at Dior Homme then at Saint Laurent, instituting the trend’s outfit formula–leather jacket, button-down shirt, suspenders, skinny jeans, and Chelsea boots. As we see Indie Sleaze slowly coming back in style, it could be a good time for Chanel to tap into an aesthetic they have not ventured to.
John Galliano
Based in: Paris, France
Years active: 39 years
Prior brands: Givenchy (1995-1996), Dior (1996-2011), Maison Margiela (2014-Present)
Maison Margiela’s Artisanal ’24 show was a sensational moment in recent fashion, reminiscent of Galliano’s Dior collections. Everything from the show venue to the models’ makeup was full of dark romance and storytelling.
Last July, independent publication Miss Tweed reported that Galliano had decided not to renew his contract with Maison Margiela. Galliano’s personal Instagram was also wiped, adding to the mystery. His return to Dior is also rumored, along with possibly filling Kim Jones’ previous role at Fendi.
Before being let go from Dior in 2011 due to his anti-semitism scandal, Galliano brought commercial success to the house through extravagant shows like the SS04 Cleopatra collection which captivated fashion insiders with the scale of the show. while the ‘Saddle Bag’ and Oblique monogrammed ready-to-wear brought commercial success to the house. If Chanel is willing to overlook Galliano’s prior scandals, it is guaranteed that he will revolutionize Chanel like he’s done at Dior and Margiela.
Phoebe Philo
Based in: London, UK
Years active: 26 years
Prior brands: Chloé (1997-2006), Céline (2008-2017), Phoebe Philo (2021-Present)
When Phoebe Philo announced her sabbatical in 2017, it shocked the fashion world. After a long period of silence, she launched her namesake label in October 2023. Ever since her departure from Celine, Philo’s name has always come up in industry conversations about potential creative directors. A mastery in soft tailoring, Philo’s designs are an aspirational uniform for modern women. We can imagine Philo’s Chanel to be clean and timeless, while keeping the heritage house codes. It's also a plus that Philo fans are loyal and able to afford a high price tag.
Tom Ford
Based in: New York, NY
Years active: 35 years
Prior brands: Gucci (1990-2005), Saint Laurent (1999-2004), Tom Ford (2005-2023)
Tom Ford for Chanel is definitely a wild card. However, we can’t ignore that the Texas-born designer single-handedly revived Gucci in the ’90s. He took an over-licensed leather goods company to the highlight of Milan Fashion Week. Gucci under Ford was trendy and sexy: it became a desired choice among celebrities like Madonna, who donned a full look from the Fall ’95 runway at the 1995 VMAs. You can still find celebrities today wearing Tom Ford-Era Gucci.
After his time at the Italian brand came to an end, Ford found his own brand, TOM FORD, where he continued his legacy as the ‘King of Sexy.’ In 2022, Estée Lauder acquired the brand and he stepped down from the Creative Director position the following year. Despite his supposed retirement, we would like to imagine a Tom Ford-Era Chanel. Maybe glamor and allure is what Chanel needs, a break from its institutional image. Can you imagine Double C thongs?
