The news took the small world of fashion by surprise: Wednesday, November 10, the house Bottega Veneta, owned by the Kering group, announced – by mutual agreement, according to the press release – to end its collaboration with the British designer. Daniel Lee, in charge of the collections of the Italian house since 2018. His creative, minimal and inventive touch had put the brand back in the center of all attention, just like the withdrawal of the label from social networks in January, a risky bet in 2021 for a house luxury.
Barely five days after this announcement, the Kering group revealed the name of its successor on Monday, November 15. And if the 37-year-old man is unknown to the general public, the name of Matthieu Blazy has been circulating among insiders for several years already. A graduate of the prestigious La Cambre school in Brussels, the Franco-Belgian began his career as a male fashion designer with Raf Simons, before joining Maison Margiela, where he notably took charge of the Artisanal line, the couture range of the label.
An internal appointment
In 2014, he joined the Parisian house Céline, where he sharpened his sense of detail with Phoebe Philo. He then found Raf Simons in New York, at Calvin Klein, between 2016 and 2019. The following year, he was appointed director of ready-to-wear design at Bottega Venetta, alongside Daniel Lee.
An internal appointment, of which François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO of Kering, is pleased: “ The very solid foundations, the specific codes and the unique identity of Bottega Veneta allow us to nurture great ambitions for the future of this house. I am convinced that the very rich experience and great culture of Matthieu Blazy will allow him to bring the legacy of Bottega Veneta to life by bringing his creative impetus to it. “ He will present his first collection in February 2022.