Italian luxury design house Bottega Veneta announced last week that its Creative Director Daniel Lee is leaving the company and will be replaced by Matthieu Blazy with immediate effect. Matthieu was born in Paris in 1984, and is a graduate of La Cambre in Brussels.
Blazy kickstarted his fashion career as Men’s Designer for Raf Simons; he then moved on Maison Martin Margiela, where he designed the ‘Artisanal’ line and the Women’s RTW show. In 2014, Blazy joined as Senior Designer at Céline, before working again with Raf Simons at Calvin Klein from 2016 to 2019. Blazy was appointed RTW Design Director at Bottega Veneta in 2020.
Blazy, despite not being a household name is well respected within the industry and has carved a niche for his craftsmanship-oriented approach to fashion. His predecessor Lee was also not a widely-known name when he joined Bottega Veneta.
“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,” said Leo Rongone, CEO of Bottega Veneta.
François-Henri Pinault, Chairman and CEO of French Luxury Group Kering, which owns several other luxury brands including Bottega Veneta, 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."
Blazy, who is a French and Belgian national and lives between Antwerp and Milan, will present his first collection for Bottega Veneta in February 2022.
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