Matthieu Blazy Named New Creative Director of Bottega Veneta

Bottega Veneta’s parent company Kering didn’t have to look very far to find a creative director after the shocking exit of Daniel Lee last week. Matthieu Blazy, who has served as ready-to-wear design director under Lee since 2020, has been promoted to the top job, a move that should please plenty of fashion insiders who have long kept their eyes on Blazy as a talent to watch. To many, Blazy finally being named the creative director of a house is a move long overdue.

Paris-born and Belgian-educated Blazy is a longtime protege of Raf Simons. He got his start in fashion as a menswear designer for Simons’s eponymous brand before landing a job at Maison Margiela where he was responsible for the label’s artisanal and women’s RTW show. The brand officially adapted a semi-anonymous “collective” approach to design, and, at the time, The Cut called him “the most famous fashion designer you’ve never heard of.” (Blazy’s time at Margiela occurred before John Galliano was appointed creative director of the Belgian label in 2014). In 2014, Blazy then moved to Céline, where he worked as a senior designer under Phoebe Philo. In 2016, he once again linked up with Simons, and became one of his right-hand men in New York while the designer was at the helm of Calvin Klein (Simons’s other closest collaborator, Pieter Mulier, has since taken over Alaïa.) Eventually, he wound up at Bottega under Lee.

“Matthieu Blazy is an extraordinarily talented individual, whom I am proud and excited to entrust with the creative helm of our luxury House,” said Leo Rongone, CEO of Bottega Veneta, in a statement. “Bottega Veneta has always been equated with signature craftsmanship and distinctive creativity. Matthieu’s appointment will further enhance the modern relevance of our brand and accelerate our growth, while preserving the values that are at the core of Bottega Veneta.”

Promoting from within the house means Bottega’s aesthetic will likely not see an immediate dramatic aesthetic shift from the successful approach Lee established. After all, as design director, Blazy helped establish that look. But over time, we’re sure Blazy will develop his own style at the house. We won’t have to wait long to see how that develops, either. His first show will take place in February 2022.

No word, of course, on whether or not Blazy plans to reactivate Bottega’s Instagram account any time soon.