# Virginie Viard's Ghostly Chanel Legacy

> Virginie Viard reveals her haunting post-Chanel life after Karl Lagerfeld's death.
- Title: Virginie Viard's Ghostly Chanel Legacy · Vanity Fair
- Summary: Virginie Viard reveals her haunting post-Chanel life after Karl Lagerfeld's death. Virginie Viard describes her five years as Chanel's artistic director as a…
- Keywords: virginie viard, karl lagerfeld, chanel, un regard, intermission, fashion, haunting, artistic director, chanel spring summer 2019, palais garnier, marseille, cruise collection
- Source: Vanity Fair — https://vanityfair.com/story/virginie-viard-karl-lagerfeld-chanel-memoir
- Author: Olivier Bouchara
- Published: 2026-09-30T12:59:16.983+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: virginie viard, karl lagerfeld, chanel, un regard, intermission, fashion, haunting, artistic director, chanel spring summer 2019, palais garnier, marseille, cruise collection
## Virginie Viard's Departure
Virginie Viard left Chanel after a Marseille cruise collection underperformed in June 2024.
## The Intermission
Viard describes the intermission as the lull between important events, a moment of nothing.

> The moment when the audience gets up, goes to the restroom, orders drinks, and chats in the hallway. The moment when nothing really happens.
## Her Book Unveiled
Viard's book Un regard: Une vie chez Chanel, published during Paris Fashion Week, details her post-Chanel life.
## The Eviction
Viard was abruptly removed from Chanel after a lunch meeting with an owner, her name vanished from collections.
## Lagerfeld's Memory
Viard describes being haunted by Lagerfeld's memory, a ghost in her post-Chanel life.
## The Intermission Chapter
Viard writes a 13-page letter to 'Dear Karl', detailing their relationship and shared history.

> How can you explain giving so much to someone who hurts you so often?
## The Creative Divide
Viard contrasts Lagerfeld's sketching speed with her collage-based approach to design.
## The Unspoken Struggle
Viard admits she couldn't sell her collections, failing to articulate her vision to the public.

> When you can't explain what you do, others will define it for you.
## The Haunting Legacy
Viard's book becomes an ethnography of luxury, highlighting her routine life and Chanel's opulence.
## The Final Letter
Viard signs off with a love letter to Lagerfeld, expressing her longing for his presence.

> I'd like to rest my head on your shoulder like I used to, hold your hand, and, by your side, reminisce.
## Key takeaway

Virginie Viard describes her five years as Chanel's artistic director as a legacy of self-creation, haunted by Lagerfeld's memory.