VIPs and fashion insiders are jostling for invitations to one of the most-coveted shows at Paris Fashion Week: Matthieu Blazy’s debut at Chanel. But who is the 41-year-old designer?

The Franco-Belgian designer is relatively under the radar — not one of the celebrity names considered for the job — and was chosen for Chanel following a highly successful three-year tenure at Italian luxury label Bottega Veneta.

The new role marks a major promotion, catapulting him from a mid-sized Italian house to Chanel — the world’s second-largest luxury fashion label with annual sales of around $20 billion.

Blazy reportedly impressed during the recruitment process with his in-depth creative presentations. He embodies “a new generation with sincere humility,” Chanel fashion president Bruno Pavlovsky said when announcing his appointment.

Beyond his creative vision, that remark also underlined another of Blazy’s widely recognized traits: a lack of ego in an industry known for its larger-than-life personalities.

That makes him a strong fit for Chanel’s discreet family owners, Alain and Gérard Wertheimer, who were reportedly seeking a loyal and low-profile figure to become only the fourth creative director in the brand’s storied history.

“Chanel is a privately owned family house,” Serge Carreira, a fashion expert at Sciences Po university in Paris, told AFP following Blazy’s appointment. “The brand can take a long-term approach and allow time for things.”

Blazy’s biggest challenge will be leading Chanel into a new era after the 40-year reign of its legendary designer, Karl Lagerfeld.

Until last year, Chanel was led by Virginie Viard, Lagerfeld’s handpicked successor. The in-house team has designed this year’s collections.

‘Hottest tickets’

Blazy earned widespread acclaim at Bottega Veneta, where he modernized the iconic Italian leather goods house’s identity. He introduced a more daring, playful edge while broadening the product offering.

He led the launch of the brand’s first fragrances and high-end jewelry, and reinvented its signature “intrecciato” woven patterns with hit bags such as the Kalimero, Andiamo, and Sardine.

One of his most talked-about creations was a pair of $7,000 leather jeans, printed to look indistinguishable from traditional denim.

His Milan Fashion Week shows — attended by stars like Julianne Moore and Jennifer Lawrence — quickly became marquee events. “A top highlight, consistently among the hottest tickets,” said Robert Williams, luxury editor at The Business of Fashion, in comments to AFP.

But Chanel presents a different level of pressure. “The pressure to back up that creative edge with wearable designs is certainly a lot higher,” Williams added.

Blazy gave a glimpse of his aesthetic at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month, where British actress Tilda Swinton appeared in loosely cut white trousers and a short-sleeved blouse — an understated preview of what’s to come.

The full collection will be revealed in Paris on October 6, the penultimate day of Paris Fashion Week, which kicks off on Monday.

Raf Simons friendship

A heavy smoker who often dresses in jeans and a T-shirt, Blazy is known for his love of contemporary art and close friendship with Belgian designer Raf Simons — a mentor who hired him twice.

Raised in Paris by his art expert father and historian mother, Blazy grew up alongside a twin sister and brother.

“Tom Sawyer was my childhood hero,” he told The New York Times last year, referring to the free-spirited protagonist of Mark Twain’s novel.

His teenage rebellious streak led to him being sent to boarding schools in both France and England.

After completing high school, he studied fashion at La Cambre in Brussels. Upon graduation, he was hired by Simons — launching a career that has taken him through some of the most prestigious European and American fashion houses.

He first rose to public attention in 2014, as part of an anonymous collective that designed a collection for French label Maison Margiela.

British fashion journalist Suzy Menkes was so impressed with his fabric work that she publicly revealed his name in Vogue, writing: “You can’t keep such a talent under wraps.”

That exposure propelled him into new roles, including at Celine and later at Calvin Klein, where he rejoined Simons in New York.

Their two-year stint in the U.S. ended abruptly in 2018 when both were let go. Blazy described the moment to The New York Times, saying he found himself standing in the street with a cardboard box containing his office belongings.

“It felt like a movie,” he told The New York Times.