Marie-Laure Cérède, one of the most influential figures in contemporary high jewellery, is joining Chanel as the house accelerates its ambitions in a category increasingly central to luxury growth.

Chanel has named Marie-Laure Cérède as Director of its Jewellery Creation Studio, filling a role that has been vacant since the death of longtime creative head Patrice Leguéreau in November 2024. Cérède will join the house in October 2026, reporting to Frédéric Grangié, President of Watches and Fine Jewellery, and will oversee all precious and high jewellery creations across teams in Paris and Geneva.

The appointment is a statement of intent. Cérède began her career at Cartier before moving to Harry Winston, where she led the artistic direction of jewellery and watchmaking. She returned to Cartier in 2016 as Creative Director of Jewellery and Watchmaking, a position she held for almost a decade.

The move comes at a favourable moment for Chanel, which closed 2025 with sales of US$19.3 billion, up 3% year on year — a recovery that also coincides with the beginning of a new creative chapter under fashion director Matthieu Blazy. Cérède will oversee the development of both fine jewellery and high jewellery collections, contributing to the continued evolution of the house’s design codes.

Global Executive Chairman Alain Wertheimer and Global Chief Executive Leena Nair described Cérède as “one of the most talented, refined and accomplished creative directors of her generation,” while Grangié said her vision would bring a new perspective to the Chanel codes.

Cérède described the appointment as an honour, noting Chanel’s singular cultural force and its discipline in continuing to question convention and redefine femininity through design.