As Virginie Viard leaves Chanel, who are the contenders to

Artistic director’s departure opens up one of fashion’s top jobs at brand hoping to become a talking point again

Virginie Viard, the artistic director who replaced Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel after his death in 2019, is to exit the French luxury brand, leaving open one of fashion’s top jobs.

Viard was just the third artistic director at the 114-year-old brand after Lagerfeld and its founder, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. She will leave after five years in the role and three decades with the fashion house.