Chanel has named Marie-Laure Cérède as director of its jewellery creation studio, entrusting the former Cartier creative director with responsibility for all precious jewellery and high jewellery creations across the maison.
Cérède will join Chanel in October 2026 and report to Frédéric Grangié, president of watches and fine jewellery.
In her new role, she will work closely with teams in Paris and Geneva, overseeing the creative direction of the brand’s jewellery collections.
The appointment brings one of the luxury sector’s most respected jewellery creatives to Chanel, following a career spanning senior design roles at both Cartier and Harry Winston.
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.
Commenting on the appointment, Cérède said: “I am honoured and moved to join Chanel, a maison of singular cultural force and exceptional discipline that continues to question convention, redefine femininity and express modernity through form and spirit.”
She added that she looked forward to working with Chanel’s teams to write “the new chapter together”.
Grangié said Cérède’s blend of creativity, craftsmanship expertise and gemmological knowledge made her a natural fit for the luxury house.
“Her approach to creativity as a delicate balance between heritage, emotion, audacity and restraint will bring a new perspective to the Chanel codes that define our unique creations,” he said.
“Marie-Laure’s imagination and deep expertise in craft and knowledge of gemology will take Chanel in exciting new directions.”
The appointment was also welcomed by Chanel’s leadership team.
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”.
They added that her creative vision and leadership experience would help shape the next chapter of Chanel’s jewellery story.
Raised in Libreville, Gabon, Cérède has previously credited her early exposure to different cultures, colours and natural environments with fostering a lifelong appreciation for decorative arts and craftsmanship. She is a graduate of ESCP Europe.
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