Chanel announced Tuesday that Marie-Laure Cérède will become director of its jewelry creation studio. The former Cartier creative director of jewelry and watchmaking will join the company in October 2026.
The position has remained vacant since Patrice Leguéreau, who led the studio for 15 years, died in 2024. Cérède served as Cartier creative director of jewelry and watchmaking from 2016 to 2025. Chanel global executive chair Alain Wertheimer and global CEO Leena Nair said in a joint statement that Cérède is “one of the most talented, refined, and accomplished creative directors of her generation.” They added that her vision will shape the next chapter of Chanel’s jewelry story. Cérède will report to Frédéric Grangié, president of watches and fine jewelry, and work with Arnaud Chastaingt, director of the watchmaking creation studio. Grangié noted that her approach balances heritage, emotion, audacity, and restraint. Cérède said she is honored to join “a maison of singular cultural force and exceptional discipline.” The watches and jewelry business accounts for around 5 percent of Chanel’s sales, or about $965 million, according to Morgan Stanley estimates based on 2025 turnover.