Virginie Viard, who succeeded Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel, leaves fashion house

PARIS (AP) — Virginie Viard, the creative director of Chanel who replaced Karl Lagerfeld after his death, is leaving the fashion house. Chanel did not immediately announce a replacement for the 62-year-old Viard, who worked with Lagerfeld for more than two decades. Before she replaced Lagerfeld, Viard had held no official role as designer but worked closely with the late designer across all of Chanel’s numerous design channels, including couture. Chanel said Viard was “able to renew the codes of the house while respecting the creative heritage of Chanel” during her five years in the role. The brand did not give a reason for her departure.