In brief
- Virginie Viard traces her 30-year career at Chanel in her book “Un regard. Une vie dans la mode”.
- A close associate of the princely clan of Monaco allowed her to land her very first internship on Rue Cambon.
- Succession of Karl Lagerfeld in February 2019 until her unexpected departure from the maison in June 2024.
The history of contemporary fashion is punctuated by discreet but powerful itineraries, whose trajectory shapes the aesthetics of the greatest luxury maisons from the shadows. Virginie Viard’s journey within the famous maison on Rue Cambon is one of the most striking illustrations of this. A key figure in the French haute couture landscape, the designer has spent more than three decades through evolutions, creations, and industrial changes at Chanel, climbing the ranks of the studio one by one to global creative direction.
Her rise is part of an extremely demanding universe, where the transmission of savoir-faire, the mastery of cuts, and attentive listening to the ateliers constitute the backbone of success. Taking the reins of creation following the death of German couturier Karl Lagerfeld in February 2019, she assumed the heavy responsibility of perpetuating a world-famous heritage while meeting the demands of the modern market. Her departure, which occurred just as unexpectedly in June 2024, marked the end of a major cycle for the Parisian label, opening a chapter of reflections and memories on thirty years of creative passion and uninterrupted commitment.
A princely helping hand at the origins of a career
The former artistic director of Chanel, Virginie Viard, looks back on her three decades at the heart of haute couture in an autobiographical work entitled “Un regard. Une vie dans la mode”. In it, she reveals a little-known episode of her career: the determining role played by the entourage of the princely family of Monaco during her very first steps within the Parisian maison.
To understand the genesis of this exceptional itinerary, it is necessary to place these events in the context of the young woman’s formative years. Passionate about the art of costume and scenography, she was then seeking to enter the closed circuits of Parisian haute couture, a sector where apprenticeship opportunities prove to be particularly selective. The intervention of personalities gravitating around the principality functioned as a decisive catalyst. This recommendation opened the doors to a universe of which she would become one of the most influential figures.
Behind the scenes of a Monegasque helping hand
While Virginie Viard’s career alongside Karl Lagerfeld is widely documented, her first steps on Rue Cambon remained more secret. It was thanks to a close associate of the princely clan of Monaco that the young stylist was able to obtain her very first internship at Chanel. This discreet support laid the first stone of an exceptional rise in the world of luxury, also weaving privileged links between the designer and the Monegasque principality over the years.
This privileged connection with Monaco never wavered throughout her professional trajectory. The principality, a high place of international glamour, has always maintained intimate relations with Parisian haute couture and the great names that shape it. By benefiting from this introduction at her debut, Virginie Viard was able to penetrate the inner workings of Rue Cambon at a time when the studio was in full reinvention. This initial gesture laid the foundations for a flawless professional loyalty and a deep attachment to the traditions of Mediterranean and Parisian elegance.
From the shadows of the ateliers to artistic direction
Apprenticeship within the ateliers of the maison Chanel is characterised by total immersion in technique, rigour, and precision. Initially joined for training, Virginie Viard quickly demonstrated a fine understanding of volumes, materials, and cutting intentions. Her ability to translate the most complex sketches into sartorial realities caught the attention of those in charge of creation. Over the seasons, the passionate intern climbed the internal ranks to become a centerpiece of the creative hive on Rue Cambon.
Working in the shadows of the ateliers requires constant humility in the face of the garment and a keen sense of teamwork. Over the years, the designer developed a unique complicity with the studio heads, embroiderers, feather workers, and all the artisans of the Métiers d’art network. This in-depth mastery of the material production chain became her main strength, allowing her to guide the teams with undisputed legitimacy and irreproachable precision of execution.
Thirty years at the heart of Parisian haute couture
Having become the right hand and closest collaborator of the “Kaiser”, Virginie Viard worked for more than thirty years in the discretion of the creative studios. In February 2019, following the passing of Karl Lagerfeld, she took over the artistic direction of Chanel. She thus ensured the creative continuity of the brand, producing successive ready-to-wear and Haute Couture collections and Cruise shows around the world.
During three decades, the maison Chanel experienced unprecedented global expansion, becoming one of the absolute jewels of the luxury sector. At the heart of this creative reactor, the duo formed by the German designer and his right hand functioned in perfect symbiosis. While Karl Lagerfeld breathed in his intellectual vision, his conceptual themes, and his incisive sketches, Virginie Viard ensured the perfect realisation of each silhouette, supervising fittings and coordinating the maison’s frenetic calendar.
The workload within the studio was structured around a demanding rhythm, marked by the presentation of multiple annual collections. Whether it was the Spring-Summer and Autumn-Winter ready-to-wear, the two annual Haute Couture appointments, or intermediate collections like the Métiers d’art and Cruise lines, each project required renewed creative energy. By taking the reins in February 2019, the stylist was able to impose a softer signature, very focused on the comfort of the contemporary woman, while maintaining the fundamental codes established by Gabrielle Chanel and perpetuated for more than three decades by her predecessor.
A testimony after an unexpected departure
The official announcement of Virginie Viard’s departure in June 2024 caused a stir in the fashion and luxury sector. After five years at the head of artistic direction and more than thirty years of uninterrupted presence on Rue Cambon, this transition marked the end of an era. This departure, occurring after several seasons of financial growth for the label, left the fashion world waiting for its future aesthetic and strategic directions.
It is in this context of stepping back that the publication of her autobiographical work “Un regard. Une vie dans la mode” takes place. This book constitutes an intimate and precious testimony to the reality of creative work at the highest level. Far from artifice and media noise, the designer shares her reflections on her journey, recounting the doubts, collective successes, and the unalterable passion that animated her from her beginnings as an intern supported by Monaco until her departure in June 2024.
A testimony to the excellence of the Métiers d’art
After her sudden departure from the maison Chanel in June 2024, the stylist is now speaking out to deliver her vision of the profession. Through her memories, she pays tribute to the savoir-faire of the Métiers d’art and traces the journey of an entire life dedicated to creation, from that first internship obtained thanks to her Monegasque connections to the greatest international catwalks.
Beyond the personal trajectory, Virginie Viard’s work highlights the preservation of the rare gestures that make French couture great. During her decades of activity, she was one of the witnesses and major players in the safeguarding of feather workers, embroiderers, costume jewellery makers, bootmakers, and milliners who collaborate with the maison. Her story underlines the vital importance of transmitting these centuries-old techniques to new generations of artisans, so that haute couture continues to embody a form of living art unique in the world.
The creative heritage of Rue Cambon and the future of fashion
The history of the maison Chanel has always been written at the crossroads of tradition and modernity. Since Mademoiselle Chanel’s original installation in the Parisian epicentre of Rue Cambon, the address remains the sanctuary of French creation and style. Virginie Viard’s time at the head of the studio allowed this historical thread to be maintained while adapting the creative offering to the contemporary expectations of international clientele.
The evolution of women’s wardrobes indeed required a subtle balance between respect for fundamental symbols (tweed, the camellia, the gold chain, the two-tone) and a freedom of allure adapted to daily life. Through her various collections, the designer defended a vision of fashion rooted in movement and the comfort of women, refusing gratuitous ostentation in favour of functional and refined elegance. This work of constant reinterpretation ensured the transition between the theatrical era of Karl Lagerfeld and a more intimate approach to luxury clothing.
A life devoted to sartorial creation
The publication of the book “Un regard. Une vie dans la mode” thus offers a complete reading grid of the journey of a designer who has gone through all the stages of the profession. From the initial helping hand from the Monegasque entourage that opened the door to the first internship to the management of the immense fashion shows presented under the nave of the Grand Palais or across the globe, the path travelled bears witness to a total dedication to the art of clothing.
By tracing these three decades of creation, the book immortalises not only a remarkable personal adventure but also an entire era of Parisian fashion. This written testimony remains a major contribution to the memory of haute couture, illustrating how passion, perseverance, and the timely support of loyal relations can lead from the wings of an apprenticeship atelier to the highest summits of international luxury.
