Chanel's fashion president Bruno Pavlovsky steps off the company board

Bruno Pavlovsky, one of the longest-serving executives at Chanel, has resigned from the board of Chanel Limited, the company's UK parent. He is not leaving the house. In a statement to WWD, Chanel said he remains president of its fashion activities and president of Chanel SAS, its French division.

What Chanel says

According to WWD, Chanel described the move as the completion of the board's evolution towards independent directors, while executive representation continues through the global executive chairman, Alain Wertheimer, and the global chief executive, Leena Nair. Pavlovsky and chief financial officer Philippe Blondiaux, who retires at the end of 2026, will not be replaced on the board.

Who he is

WWD reports that Pavlovsky joined Chanel in 1990 and has run its fashion division since 2004. He has worked alongside Karl Lagerfeld, Virginie Viard and, since April 2025, Matthieu Blazy. He also chairs the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, French fashion's governing body, and was re-elected to that role in July.

The paper places the change within a succession plan the Wertheimer family set in motion five years ago, after Nair arrived as CEO in 2021. Several veteran executives have left the company since then.

Why it matters

The timing is notable. WWD notes that Chanel's revenue rose 3 percent to $19.3 billion in 2025, and that unconfirmed reports point to much stronger growth in the first half of 2026 as Blazy's first collections arrived in stores.

For shoppers, nothing changes. For anyone following the luxury industry, it is another sign of how the big family-owned houses are reorganising their governance while their creative side gets all the attention.

• Chanel
• Leadership
• Luxury business