Bottega Veneta names Matthieu Blazy as new creative director

By

Robin Driver

Published
Nov 15, 2021

Following the shock announcement of Daniel Lee’s departure from Bottega Veneta on Wednesday, November 10, the Italian luxury brand revealed on Monday that it has already found a successor for the British designer. Matthieu Blazy, who has served as Lee’s second-in-command at the Kering-owned house since mid-2020, is stepping into the role of creative director, effective immediately.
 

A graduate of Brussels’ La Cambre art school, Paris-born Blazy cut his teeth as men’s designer at Raf Simons, before moving on to Maison Martin Margiela, where he was responsible for the brand’s “Artisanal” line.
 
After a two-year stint as senior designer at Celine, from 2014 to 2016, Blazy went to work under Simons again, this time at Calvin Klein, where the Belgian designer had been named as the American label’s first-ever chief creative officer.

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Appointed as Bottega Veneta’s ready-to-wear design director in 2020, Blazy, who, to date, has received industry recognition for his work in largely behind-the-scenes design roles, has now been lifted into the spotlight as the Milan-based house’s creative lead.
 
“Matthieu Blazy is an extraordinarily talented individual, whom I am proud and excited to entrust with the creative helm of our luxury House,” said Bottega Veneta CEO Leo Rongone 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.”
 
Having stepped into the role of creative director at Bottega Veneta in 2018, Lee led the brand’s revival after the declining sales that characterized the last years of the tenure of his predecessor, Tomas Maier. The English designer won particular acclaim for his maxi reinterpretation of the house’s classic intreccio leather and created an unexpected runaway hit with the Puddle Boots he sent down the catwalk for Fall 2020.
 
His abrupt exit from Bottega Veneta came just 15 days after he presented his latest collection for the brand in a historic runway show in Detroit.
 
Blazy, a French and Belgian national who splits his time between Antwerp and Milan, will no doubt be expected to continue the recovery successfully set in motion by Lee, whom he has worked alongside for the past year. Indeed, Kering chairman and CEO François-Henri Pinault seemed keen to emphasize the idea of continuity in the statement he made about Blazy’s appointment on Monday.
 
“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,” said the executive. “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.”
 
Blazy will unveil his first collection for Bottega Veneta at Milan Fashion Week in February 2022.