Bruno Pavlovsky
President of Fashion, Chanel; President, Fédération de la Haute Couture
The accomplished fashion executive emphasises creativity and measured growth at one of the industry’s most prestigious brands.
Bruno Pavlovsky is president of fashion at Chanel. He oversees the French house’s crown jewel, the ready-to-wear and haute couture businesses on which the codes of the house are based. He was also named the president of the Fédération de la Haute Couture in July 2022, succeeding Puig’s Ralph Toledano , who has served as president of the Fédération since 2014.
Pavlovsky told BoF, “Today, Chanel is perhaps one of the most successful business models based on creativity. We let these creative people go to the next step in designing the collection. And, on the other hand, we maximise the impact of the collection at every point of sale.”
It is Pavlovsky’s responsibility to create the commercial environments that allowed Karl Lagerfeld ’s and now Virginie Viard 's designs be such successful brand identifiers, saying, “It’s about how we play all of these good points, good things, good energies to recreate something special at the boutique level. This is the base of this business model.” In 2018, the fashion house released financial results for the first time, reporting revenue of almost $10 billion for fiscal year 2017.
Pavlovsky also embarked upon a steady buy up of many of Chanel’s specialist suppliers, including Lesage, Dreseus, Lemarié, Maison Michel and Barrie Knitwear under the umbrella Parrafection. “For us at Chanel, it’s a guarantee that this creativity can continue to exist for the next 50 years.”
In 2017, he announced that Chanel would launch a Gallery Gabrielle Chanel exhibition space in the ground floor of the Palais Galliera fashion museum. Under Pavlovsky’s guidance, guaranteeing creativity is tantamount to guaranteeing Chanel’s place at the very peak of industry.
Career History
VITAL STATISTICS
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Why Chanel Is Getting Into the Recycling Business
The French luxury giant is launching a new circularity focused venture with investments in waste management and recycling companies, much as it has bought up top-end ateliers in a decades-long push to future-proof its supply chain.
Why Chanel Is Getting Into the Recycling Business
The French luxury giant is launching a new circularity focused venture with investments in waste management and recycling companies, much as it has bought up top-end ateliers in a decades-long push to future-proof its supply chain.
Is Chanel’s ‘Absolute Luxury’ Push Working?
With prices and quality for its flagship handbags under scrutiny, can the French couture giant reclaim the narrative? "We're not perfect," fashion president Bruno Pavlovsky said. "We're aware that our positioning obligates us to always do better, and we try to always do better."
Is Chanel’s ‘Absolute Luxury’ Push Working?
With prices and quality for its flagship handbags under scrutiny, can the French couture giant reclaim the narrative? "We're not perfect," fashion president Bruno Pavlovsky said. "We're aware that our positioning obligates us to always do better, and we try to always do better."
Thoroughly Modern Gabrielle
A landmark exhibition at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum and an upcoming Métiers d’Art show in Manchester are part of Chanel’s ‘British moment,’ president of fashion Bruno Pavlovsky tells Tim Blanks.
Thoroughly Modern Gabrielle
A landmark exhibition at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum and an upcoming Métiers d’Art show in Manchester are part of Chanel’s ‘British moment,’ president of fashion Bruno Pavlovsky tells Tim Blanks.
Will Self-Regulation Solve Fashion’s Sustainability Problem?
This week, an unlikely alliance of fashion giants including Chanel, Hermès, Inditex and H&M agreed to a new set of climate commitments, but the industry is unlikely to overcome its sustainability challenge through self-policing alone.
Will Self-Regulation Solve Fashion’s Sustainability Problem?
This week, an unlikely alliance of fashion giants including Chanel, Hermès, Inditex and H&M agreed to a new set of climate commitments, but the industry is unlikely to overcome its sustainability challenge through self-policing alone.
The Sustainability Goals Chanel, Kering and H&M Could All Agree On
More than 60 fashion companies have signed on to The Fashion Pact launched by Kering's CEO last year, creating an unusually large industry cross-section that's committed to seven new targets to reduce the sector's environmental impact.
The Sustainability Goals Chanel, Kering and H&M Could All Agree On
More than 60 fashion companies have signed on to The Fashion Pact launched by Kering's CEO last year, creating an unusually large industry cross-section that's committed to seven new targets to reduce the sector's environmental impact.
What Happened to Rethinking the Fashion System?
For brands big and small, there is real value in rethinking the industry’s traditional system of showing, delivering and discounting collections to better match today’s globalised, digital world. But meaningful change may take 12 to 24 months.
What Happened to Rethinking the Fashion System?
For brands big and small, there is real value in rethinking the industry’s traditional system of showing, delivering and discounting collections to better match today’s globalised, digital world. But meaningful change may take 12 to 24 months.
Why Chanel Doesn’t Want to Change the Fashion System
The French luxury titan is doubling down on six shows per year and the Cruise extravaganzas pioneered by Karl Lagerfeld. Chanel’s Bruno Pavlovsky lays out the logic to Tim Blanks.
Why Chanel Doesn’t Want to Change the Fashion System
The French luxury titan is doubling down on six shows per year and the Cruise extravaganzas pioneered by Karl Lagerfeld. Chanel’s Bruno Pavlovsky lays out the logic to Tim Blanks.
One Year After Karl, Where Do Chanel and Fendi Go From Here?
Karl Lagerfeld invented the playbook for modern luxury that continues to drive results for the brands he led. However, his longtime collaborators, Virginie Viard and Silvia Venturini Fendi, are making some necessary rewrites.
One Year After Karl, Where Do Chanel and Fendi Go From Here?
Karl Lagerfeld invented the playbook for modern luxury that continues to drive results for the brands he led. However, his longtime collaborators, Virginie Viard and Silvia Venturini Fendi, are making some necessary rewrites.
Chanel Is Doubling Down on Blockbuster Shows, Despite China Setback
The luxury brand has had to rethink ambitious plans to restage its Métiers d’Art show in both London and Beijing this summer following the coronavirus outbreak, but it’s still betting on replica shows to connect with customers.
Chanel Is Doubling Down on Blockbuster Shows, Despite China Setback
The luxury brand has had to rethink ambitious plans to restage its Métiers d’Art show in both London and Beijing this summer following the coronavirus outbreak, but it’s still betting on replica shows to connect with customers.
Why 'Made in France' Is Back in Force
Major French luxury brands like Chanel, Hermès and Louis Vuitton are spending millions of euros on facilities in their home country to burnish their brands, secure unique know-how, enable greater speed-to-market and benefit from government incentives.
Why 'Made in France' Is Back in Force
Major French luxury brands like Chanel, Hermès and Louis Vuitton are spending millions of euros on facilities in their home country to burnish their brands, secure unique know-how, enable greater speed-to-market and benefit from government incentives.
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The people shaping the global fashion industry, curated by the editors of The Business of Fashion, based on nominations and on-the-ground intelligence from around the world.
