Karl Lagerfeld’s Longtime Friend Virginie Viard Takes Over As Creative Director At Chanel Following His Death

Virginie Viard has been announced as the new Creative Director of Chanel following the death of Karl Lagerfeld who served as the French label’s Creative Director from 1983 until his death this morning.

Virginie who was Karl’s right-hand woman at Chanel for more than three decades had been working as the Director of CHANEL’s Fashion Creation Studio.

The label announced her appointment on Instagram writing, “Virginie Viard, Director of CHANEL’s Fashion Creation Studio and Karl Lagerfeld’s closest collaborator for more than 30 years, has been entrusted by Alain Wertheimer with the creative work for the collections, so that the legacy of Gabrielle Chanel and Karl Lager.”