Intro for June 25, 2024

Dear Gossips,   

It’s Haute Couture Week in Paris and the Chanel presentation was today, which is awkward because just three weeks ago the house announced the departure of creative director Virginie Viard, who took over from Karl Lagerfeld after his death. 

I posted about this recently, about how even though Chanel has been making a lot of money under Virginie’s stewardship (in fact, last year’s sales were record-breaking), there’s no buzz around the brand. The power of the brand’s legacy continues to be strong…but how much longer can that last when it doesn’t bring any heat? 

So back to today and the Chanel haute couture show– Virginie wasn’t there for her final collection; reportedly she was not expecting to be sacked so when she got the news, she basically packed up her sh-t and left and the in-house design team had to finish off the production. Which is why today’s event was so muted. 

Now the fashion world eagerly awaits the announcement of a new creative director. As I wrote in my last post about the situation at Chanel, there are several names who’ve been rumoured as possible candidates: Hedi Slimane, Sarah Burton, John Galliano, and Pierpaolo Piccioli who recently left Valentino. 

The latest designer who’s emerged as a contender is Marine Serre…and I am jacked about this! Marine Serre won the LVMH prize for Young Fashion Designers back in 2017. Later that year I bought one of her pieces from The Lab at Nordstrom as an investment because already you could tell she had a big future. 

Here’s the jumpsuit and you can see the pink crescent moon at the chest which has now become her signature print: 

Marine Serre is just 32 years old and she’s already established her own brand. Could she take over at one of the most influential and recognisable fashion houses in history? It would be such an interesting partnership because a major core value for Marine as she’s grown her brand is sustainability and eco-forward fashion which means using upcycled materials and adapting a process of “circularity” in their products. How would that fit in at Chanel? Imagine the Show Your Work of it all if in her negotiations she makes that a dealbreaker? Obviously this is jumping way ahead because we don’t even know if the rumours are true about Marine being considered among designers who are so much more experienced and established than she is, even with the success she’s already had. But in making the decision to let go of Virginie Viard, Chanel has signaled that they are done with “safe”. How risky – and radical – are they prepared to be moving forward? 

Here's forever Chanel girl Keira Knightley with James Righton at the Chanel show today. I’m never tired of Keira in Chanel but it has to work for more than just one person. 

Yours in gossip, 

Lainey