Who is Bottega Veneta's New Creative Director?

Fashion has been on tenterhooks since last week's news that creative director Daniel Lee's once triumphant reign at Bottega Veneta was no more. The rumour mill has been churning ever since; for someone who has proved to be such a hit success when it comes to product, what was going on behind the scenes that meant Kering had no choice but to give him the boot? In any case, the brand's Salon 03 show in Detroit proved to be his last. Today, Bottega Veneta announced that Matthieu Blazy will take up the role of creative director, with his debut collection showing in February 2022.

So, who is Mr. Blazy? No stranger to Bottega Veneta, the designer has been ready-to-wear design director since last year. Before this, he was senior designer at Céline under Phoebe Philo (where his predecessor cut his teeth). Having studied at the visual arts school La Cambre in Brussels, the French and Belgian national began his professional career at Raf Simons, who he later worked for during Simons' tenure at Calvin Klein. Blazy's partner is Pieter Mulier, who was previously Simons' right-hand man, and took the reins of Alaïa earlier this year.

Later Blazy was head designer for Maison Martin Margiela's Artisanal and women's ready-to-wear lines, pre-John Galliano era. The notoriously anonymous team were infamously put out when fashion writer Suzy Menkes outed Blazy's name to the press in 2014.

Bottega Veneta's CEO Leo Rongone, said in a statement today: 'Matthieu Blazy is an extraordinarily talented individual, whom I am proud and excited to entrust with the creative helm of our luxury House. 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.'

François-Henri Pinault, Chairman & CEO of Kering, added: 'The very solid foundations, specific codes and unique identity of Bottega Veneta enable us to nurture great ambitions for the future of this luxury House. I am confident that Matthieu Blazy’s wealth of experience and broad cultural background will allow him to bring his creative impetus to the task of carrying on the legacy of Bottega Veneta.'

The industry will be eager to see what Blazy's very own 'Bottega Effect' will be, taking to the helm of a brand for the first time.