Virginie Viard, the CHANEL Departure and the Miseducation of Fashion

🌈 Abstract

The article explores the departure of Virginie Viard from her role as Creative Director at CHANEL, and questions whether it reveals anything about the misogynistic traits of the fashion industry. It delves into the mixed reactions to Viard's work, the brand's financial performance under her leadership, and the broader issue of male designers' perspectives on femininity in fashion.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Virginie Viard's Departure from CHANEL

1. What were the reactions to Virginie Viard's work as CHANEL's Creative Director?

• The author describes the reactions to Viard's work as "vitriolic" and "uninspiring" in the early years of her tenure.
• The author's own moment of disengagement came during the Cruise '22 show, which felt "uninspiring" to them.
• Over time, the author started asking the same question as Peggy Lee: "Is that all there is?"

2. What were the financial results under Viard's leadership?

• According to BoF, CHANEL's revenues increased by up to 16% under Viard's tenure.
• The fashion business specifically "has been multiplied by 2.2" since Viard took over from Karl Lagerfeld.

3. What are the potential reasons for Viard's departure?

• The author speculates that CHANEL may be looking to entice younger audiences, especially with the upcoming focus on the beauty business.
• Viard's designs were not generating the necessary "buzz" to sell luxury to the mainstream, and Veblen's theory of conspicuous consumption could not be fulfilled.
• The author suggests that CHANEL may be seeking a "big name" Creative Director who can generate more positive social media engagement and media coverage.

[02] Misogyny in the Fashion Industry

1. What are the author's thoughts on the prevalence of male (gay) designers leading major fashion brands?

• The author suggests that male designers' creative processes often start from a "Platonic view" or "hyperbolical idea of what a woman should or could be."
• This distorted perception of femininity can provide a sense of empowerment for women, but it also prevents other sensibilities and representations from growing.
• The author argues that women designers tend to approach fashion design with more empathy and grounding in real-life priorities, such as comfort, efficiency, and self-worth.

2. How does the author view the "Women Dressing Women" exhibition at the MET Museum?

• The exhibition acknowledged and examined the rich history of female fashion designers and their practices, focusing on key notions like anonymity, visibility, agency, and absence/omission.
• The author sees this as a positive step towards conjugating the words "history" and "heritage" with "everyone," implying a broader questioning and effort to include diverse perspectives in fashion history.

3. What is the author's perspective on the public discourse around Viard's work?

• The author suggests that we often overlook or dismiss perspectives that don't match our own biases, quickly condemning knowledge that the "foreign might offer."
• The author encourages a deeper examination of Viard's work, noting that her models' "nonchalant" and "self-assured" walk may be closer to Coco Chanel's original vision of pragmatic, high-quality fashion for the modern woman.