Chanel Head of Fashion

About Chanel

Chanel is one of the world’s most revered luxury houses, founded by Gabrielle Chanel and distinguished by an enduring vision of elegance, freedom, and modernity. As an employer, the House brings together métiers ranging from haute couture, fashion and leather goods to fragrance, beauty, watches, and fine jewelry, offering employees the opportunity to contribute to a legacy defined by exceptional craftsmanship and creative audacity. Chanel values excellence, discretion, collaboration, and long-term development, fostering an environment where talent is nurtured and heritage is continually reinterpreted for contemporary clients. Its teams are united by a commitment to quality, innovation, and the timeless spirit of the brand.

Role & Responsibilities

• Shape and lead the long-term vision and strategy for CHANEL’s Fashion business in India, anticipating market evolution and identifying medium- and long-term opportunities for the House’s presence, distribution roadmap and sustainable development.
• Partner with the India Managing Director and Regional Fashion Director to align strategic direction, priorities, initiatives and performance drivers, and lead the business as the market’s ultimate luxury fashion house.
• Craft and execute a comprehensive brand strategy aligned with global strategy and co-created with regional teams, reinforcing CHANEL’s brand leadership and Fashion singularity.
• Implement the India distribution roadmap and city strategy, strengthening brand positioning and defining medium- and long-term opportunities for Fashion business development.
• Ensure the One Boutique One Story approach is understood and implemented; ensure product strategy expresses each collection’s creativity and purpose; monitor inventory and business planning.
• Anticipate Fashion industry outlook and trends, providing market intelligence insights.
• Advance sustainability initiatives in line with global and regional frameworks, and foster a culture of sustainability across the Fashion India Division.
• Ensure the Fashion Client Relationship Promise is consistently delivered across all Fashion boutiques in India.
• Deliver an unsurpassed Ultimate experience for Top Clients at scale, while strengthening the foundations for consistent and sustainable delivery.
• Accelerate the rollout of Chanel & Moi in boutiques to improve perceived product quality and value and express the House’s commitment to quality and services.
• Partner with the technology team to develop future-fit infrastructure and ensure business requirements are reflected in digital journeys and solutions supporting retail excellence and client experience.
• Provide client insights to monitor market dynamics and inform regional Fashion priorities and forward thinking.
• Drive CHANEL’s leadership in luxury retail, establish it as the market’s retail employer of choice and implement Flexibility @Retail.
• Anticipate current and future luxury retail trends and challenges, providing solutions that uphold brand posture and retail excellence.
• Improve retail operational efficiency to support frontline needs, managing proactively and agilely in response to internal and external contexts.
• Monitor key performance indicators and metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of business strategies and initiatives.
• Lead the Fashion division collaboratively and transversally, fostering new ways of working and stronger partnerships with the Swiss Markets Fashion team and the wider Fashion community.
• Optimize the organization model and develop talent capabilities to support long-term brand and business growth.
• Promote a positive, energetic work environment that encourages creativity, initiative and employee engagement.
• Develop future leaders and strengthen leadership capabilities across retail and office teams.
• Ensure Fashion singularity and Ultimate Luxury standards are understood and implemented across the organization and its touchpoints, creating conditions for teams to embrace and experience them.
• Represent India market needs to Regional and Global Fashion Leadership and co-create future priorities.
• Play a leadership role in India ELC, driving market business strategy with a One-house mindset.
• Embody and promote Fashion fundamentals beyond Fashion, fostering Brand culture.
• Be accountable for Watches & Fine Jewelry performance within Fashion, in partnership with the WFJ leadership team.
• Advance integrated risk management practices to support robust, efficient and reliable business continuity.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in the luxury retail sector, with a deep understanding of the industry, consumer behavior and India’s competitive landscape.
• A track record of building brands, setting direction, crafting and executing business strategies, and driving business development.
• Strong analytical thinking and the ability to connect different business domains.
• Strong business acumen and a deep understanding of the client journey and experience.
• A history of delivering service excellence and cultivating strong client relationships.
• Over 15 years of people leadership experience, including leading large, multi-layered teams and developing leaders of leaders.
• Inclusive, empowering leadership focused on talent development and the ability to inspire and motivate teams.
• Ability to navigate complex, evolving markets and lead through challenges and transformation.
• Experience as a fully accountable market leader overseeing an integrated business operation, with a strong general management mindset and holistic view of business performance.

Skills

Experience

15+ years in the luxury retail sector; over 15 years of people leadership experience.

Benefits

Well-being programs, learning and development opportunities, and parental leave for all parents globally.

Culture

Chanel fosters a culture of timeless creativity, exacting craftsmanship, and quiet excellence, where employees are encouraged to uphold the house’s heritage while contributing to its continued innovation. The workplace environment is refined, collaborative, and deeply committed to quality, offering professionals the opportunity to grow within a globally respected maison that values discretion, artistry, and long-term vision.

About Cerulean

Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.