What happens to a multibillion-dollar luxury brand when the boss leaves

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Chanel went months without a creative director before announcing Matthieu Blazy as Virginie Viard’s successor. In fashion, creative directors are royalty.

Like kings and queens, they’re idolized for their successes and blamed for their failures, while always being gossiped about. The all-time greats—like Karl Lagerfeld, Phoebe Philo, Hedi Slimane—have the power to shape every aspect of a luxury brand, from its collections to its store designs (Slimane even put his stamp on the branded bottled water served at Celine’s stores). But what happens when a creative director leaves (or dies), and their successor has yet to be named? In a period of extraordinary turnover at the top of design houses, many brands have found themselves without a creative leader for months and even years.

Chanel will have shown seven collections between Virginie Viard’s departure in June 2024 and Matthieu Blazy’s first collection for the house this fall. Givenchy survived without a creative-director-designed collection for over a year until Sarah Burton presented her debut this month. Demna, just announced as the next artistic director of Gucci, won’t begin until July.

Balenciaga, Fendi, Loewe and Bally have yet to announce new creative directors after recent departures. During these rudderless in-between times, luxury brands’ collections are typically designed in-house by “the studio," either as a democratic collective or under a designated head of design. Some designers see it as a time to take long lunches; others take the opportunity to hustle.

Labels usually lean on tried-and-true hits to buoy sales during this time, like archival bags and shoes. However, that doesn’t always work. Demna, just announced as the