Meet Virginie Viard: the woman who'll fill Karl Lagerfeld's shoes at Chanel

Chanel has confirmed that Virginie Viard will succeed the French fashion brand's late creative director, Karl Lagerfeld. But who exactly is Viard? Here are four things to know about her:

1. VIARD WAS LAGERFELD'S RIGHT-HAND WOMAN

Viard was Karl Lagerfeld’s closest collaborator for more than 30 years. She even followed him when he left Chanel for a five-year stint at Chloé during the 1990s.

AFP reports that Lagerfeld invited Viard on to the stage with him at the end of two Chanel shows last year to publicly acknowledge how much he relied on the woman he called "my right and left hand".

2. SHE'S DIRECTOR OF CHANEL'S FASHION CREATION STUDIO

This job involved bringing Lagerfeld's hand-drawn fashion sketches to life for the brand's eight annual collections.

"I coordinate the teams, liaise with suppliers and choose fabrics. Then, of course, I do fittings with Karl. As soon as I receive his sketches, the process begins. I try to please him, but I like to surprise him too," she told The Telegraph. 

3. SHE STARTED AT THE BOTTOM

Viard started her career at Chanel as an intern in 1987. Soon afterwards she was put in charge of the luxury fashion label's haute-couture embroidery.

4. SHE KEEPS A LOW PROFILE

"I hate being in the spotlight," she once told Elle.