(Reuters) – Virginie Viard, creative director of luxury fashion house Chanel, is set to leave the company, fashion news site Business of Fashion reported on Wednesday.
“Chanel announces the retirement of Virginie Viard after nearly 30 years at the House, after five fruitful and collaborative years as Artistic Director of Fashion Collections, during which she updated the House’s codes while respecting Chanel’s creative tradition,” the report said, citing an emailed statement from Chanel.
Viard, a longtime assistant to Karl Lagerfeld, became the fashion house’s chief designer in 2019 following the death of the haute couture maestro.
The report did not mention any possible successors to Viard.
Chanel Chief Executive Leena Nair last month dismissed rumors of a change in designer, saying Mr Viard was responsible for a 2.5-fold surge in ready-to-wear fashion sales since 2018. She said Mr Viard’s designs have been “hugely successful for women”.
The company said last month it plans to open more stores in mainland China, despite first-quarter sales figures for luxury brands showing contrasting results in the Chinese market.
Known for its tweed suits, quilted handbags and No. 5 perfume, Chanel is the world’s second-largest brand after LVMH’s Louis Vuitton and is privately owned by French billionaire brothers Alain and Gerard Wertheimer.
Chanel did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
(Reporting by Chandni Shah in Bengaluru; Editing by Stephen Coates)
