Virginie Viard, who was the late Karl Lagerfeld's "right and left hand" for more than 30 years, is stepping out from the legendary designer's formidable shadow to take over as Chanel's creative director
Chanel announced Viard's nomination "so that the legacy of Gabrielle Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld can live on" at the same time as it confirmed Lagerfeld's death aged 85.
The smoky-eyed designer who will take the spotlight after shunning it for decades was described by her mentor as "my right and left hand".
He told Netflix's 7 Days Out documentary series: "Virginie is the most important person, not only for me but also for the atelier, for everything."
Viard declines to reveal her age, as is common in the fashion world.
She joined Chanel as an intern in haute couture embroidery in 1987, four years after Lagerfeld took charge, after being recommended by a neighbour of her parents who was close to Monaco's Prince Rainier.
"I imagine we are complementary," Viard said of her relationship with Lagerfeld as Chanel's head of studio. "I understand where he wants to take Chanel, but I can't really explain it, it's like that," she told AFP in a 2015 interview.
"He doesn't spend three hours on a dress. He sees right away if it works well or not."
In November 2017, she told the London Telegraph that she tries "to please him, but I also like to surprise him."