Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel’s longtime creative director, was missing from an important fashion show on Tuesday.
According to a statement from the luxury brand, Lagerfeld, 85, wasn’t feeling up to taking his final bow following his show at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week.
But luckly, Chanel’s studio director, Virginie Viard, was on hand to step in instead.
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“For the traditional greeting at the end of the show, Mr. Lagerfeld, artistic director of Chanel, who was feeling tired, asked Virginie Viard, director of the creative studio of the house, to represent him and greet the guests alongside the bride,” Chanel said in a statement to WWD.
The statement continued, “Virginie Viard as creative studio director and Eric Pfrunder as Chanel’s director of image continue to work with him and follow through with the brand’s collections and image campaigns.”
Lagerfeld and Viard have taken the stage together for the final bow at shows in the past.
But despite Lagerfeld’s absence, Italian model Vittoria Ceretti made her Chanel show debut.
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“I just had the honour to walk this Chanel couture show as the bride,” she wrote to Instagram. “I’ve waited for this moment for a long time and I couldn’t be any happier with this beautiful dress. Grazie to everyone who made this possible.”
Kaia Gerber also walked the runway on Tuesday.
