Bruno Pavlovsky, Chanel’s president of fashion, sat for a wide-ranging interview with The Business of Fashion as part of its Face to Face With Luxury Clients report, offering a rare window into how the French couture house is restructuring its operations to meet a transformed luxury market. Pavlovsky’s central argument is that Chanel’s success in the current climate depends not on chasing new customers but on deepening the relationship with the ones it already has.
What makes Pavlovsky’s stewardship noteworthy is the balance it strikes between continuity and evolution. Chanel has not abandoned its price-positioning strategy, but it has layered in more accessible entry points—fragrance, beauty, accessories—that create an on-ramp for younger consumers without diluting the brand’s couture cachet.
The interview arrives at a pivotal moment for the house. Matthieu Blazy’s debut collection as creative director generated strong reviews and immediate consumer demand, but the bigger challenge is systemic: how to maintain Chanel’s exclusivity while the broader luxury market contracts. Pavlovsky’s answer is a renewed emphasis on craftsmanship narratives and clienteling—treating each sale as the beginning of a relationship rather than a transaction.
“Today, Chanel is perhaps one of the most successful business models based on creativity,” Pavlovsky told BoF, sketching a philosophy that places the atelier’s output at the center of every commercial decision. Under his leadership, Chanel has tightened the feedback loop between runway presentations and retail—a shift that has required significant organizational reengineering, from supply chain logistics to sales training.
Chanel’s approach to the current luxury slowdown stands in contrast to peers who have leaned heavily on price increases to protect margins. Pavlovsky frames the house’s strategy as one of patience and conviction, arguing that brands lose their way when they respond to market pressure with tactical moves rather than strategic ones. The approach appears to be working: Chanel’s fashion division reported steady growth through the first half of 2026.
