Musical Chairs A La Mode

“Have you heard? Blazy is at Chanel!” I almost spit out the last sip of my martini. Scrolling through my feed a few seconds later, I had just discovered that the gossip was true!

Our "Bottega Boss” has crossed the street to fashion Mecca, the house of Chanel. This was the most anticipated seat available since Virginie Viard left the namesake brand at the end of 2024. This happened a few months ago, but the game of musical chairs has taken many turns since.

This game began when Dries Van Noten—or ‘Papa Dries,’ as @amandamurray likes to call him—decided to step down as the head creative of his namesake label. Soon enough, Fall 2024 saw Sarah Burton leave Alexander McQueen to join Givenchy.

Burton’s sharp debut has landed her runway pieces on many celebrities. Something that needed saving after her predecessor at Givenchy, Matthew Williams, didn’t make much of an effort in stirring up the French brand.

Galliano left Margiela, and Kim left Fendi, leaving spots open for the next in line to the throne. Soon enough, Glen Martens—famous for his tenure at Diesel—took the seat at Maison Margiela and showcased a standing ovation-worthy runway at couture season. Fendi remains vacant.

After Alessandro’s shows at Valentino, playing with lace and his little Alessandro-isms, the former Gucci director created much-deserved discourse around his placement. But like in fashion, eyes moved on to the next firework show.

Here, in case, was when the masses found out Jonathan Anderson moved to Dior, after Kim Jones (who left Fendi too) showcased his final show. Kim, I’m assuming, needs a cup of tea after carrying 2 houses and several seasons on his back!

Anderson, on the other hand, a Loewe starchild, debuted his menswear in July, which received applause from the industry as well as Rihanna’s & A$AP Rocky’s kids—Rza and Riot. Readers, once you have Riri’s nod, you have officially made it. 

Some call Anderson's time at Loewe the Prada of the 2020s, as he established a reputation with his thought-provoking, intellectual pieces—we’ve all seen the pigeon clutch! Departing from Loewe, Jonathan gave his kindest blesing to the duo from Proenza Schouler that will take the helm of the Spanish brand—Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez.

Pierpaolo Piccioli, the beloved Valentino tastemaker, departed the house of Valentino with flowers and found himself at Balenciaga. What should one look forward to? Think of refined styles. Elegance. Ultra chic. The fabric content is even the finest money cannot buy, but somehow does. I’m talking old money in new currency. Pierpaolo is legendary.

Speaking of legendary, we have Versace with a mixed review. That would be thanks to Dario Vitale’s Versace, a new space blessed by Donatella. Dario’s debut look—on Julia Roberts at the Cannes Film Festival—was a Prussian blue harlequin-style gown. I ask only that you enjoy his debut show in Milan this season and keep an open mind.

After Sabato’s financial crash at Gucci, bringing down sales at a record-breaking speed, the brand found itself reconstructing the design suite. This led to Sabato’s departure, and here it comes…The Money-Maker: Demna Gvasalia, at Gucci.

Demna’s former position at Balenciaga was 10 years of “Are we really watching this?” But what can I say? The money speaks for itself. And even though the house saw several controversies over the decade, Demna’s cult-fan base invested in the bank regardless of political stance. They drew closer in admiration of his exaggerated silhouettes, pattern overload, and sharp suiting spotted on your favorite personalities. Cha-ching!

Recently, we discovered that the Georgian-born designer called it quits with oversized silhouettes. Are we seeing a resurgence of Tom Ford’s sleek, slim, sexy Gucci with Demna? Remember, Haider Ackermann still holds the position at Tom Ford after a very strong debut last season. 

Finally, one last thing I’m looking forward to seeing is Duran Lantink’s debut at Jean Paul Gaultier. Duran’s vision is an acquired taste, and one can only imagine what his play at JPG will be.

Back to Le Dive, since the news broke, it started pouring out of nowhere. Like designers dropping new pieces this season. A shower of style. Could I wear the new Bottega leather on the mean, wet streets of New York? Could the new Chanel tweed jackets sustain us in the cold winter everyone is talking about?

One thing I definitely know is the game isn’t over; the chairs may keep spinning, but when the music stops, Prada’s still got the best seat in the house.