The Business of CHANEL
The Business of CHANEL
This past year, it feels like almost every major house swapped creative directors which has shifted the fashion industry in ways we literally have never seen before:
Case in point… and these are just a few:
Balenciaga got Pierpaolo Piccioli (from Valentino)
Valentino got Alessandro Michele (from Gucci/ 2024)
Gucci got Demna (from Balenciaga).
Celine got Michael Rider (from Polo Ralph Lauren)
and
Chanel got Matthieu Blazy (from Bottega Veneta)
So what particularly happens in these shake-ups? In short, the fashion industry goes into overdrive. I mean, really think about everything that has to be rewired: merchandising, atelier processes, ambassadors/model/influencer shuffle. And so by the time Fashion Week comes around, the runway timing becomes a strategic message to investors and clients as much as to editors.
For context, collections normally take about two or three seasons (figure a year or so) to fully reflect the true vision of the creative director. In the meantime, archives are the north star where iconic pieces are reissued, and brand codes are stress-tested for relevance.
But Chanel did things differently and it’s a lesson to not only the fashion industry, but business in general.
Chanel waited. After Virginie Viard’s (previous creative director) exit in early June 2024, Chanel named Matthieu Blazy its newest creative director in December 2024 and didn’t unveil his first collection until October 6, 2025 during Paris Fashion Week. Yeah, they waited 10 months after his announcement & about 16 months after Viard’s departure. This is a stark contrast with the other fashion houses who often rush a debut.
That “extra time” allowed them to stage a cinematic reset. Chanel quite literally staged a full relaunch of its universe. The result was pure elegance with a little static charge, a collection that honors the codes without being coded.
So here’s where the lesson really sinks in. Waiting compounds value. In a world where everything seems to be (or actually is) rushed, waiting gives leaders time to align vision with operations. It also builds narrative equity and pent-up demand, which boosts pricing power and earned media the day you finally launch. Most importantly, patience buys you quality and trust.
And that my friends is where true luxury lies. When you can trust someone to give you upmost quality.
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XX Idalia