Closing Paris Fashion Week, Matthieu Blazy presented a highly anticipated collection that signaled a new, more relaxed era for Chanel.
Summary
- Matthieu Blazy’s highly anticipated debut for Chanel successfully merged the house’s iconic codes with his signature focus on texture and relaxed sophistication.
- The collection emphasized freedom and fluidity, reinvigorating classic elements like tweed and pearls.
The culmination of a turbulent Spring 2026 fashion month, marked by high-profile designer shifts, rested on the shoulders of Matthieu Blazy. As the final major show of Paris Fashion Week, his debut for Chanel was one of the most anticipated unveiling of the season. He chose the Grand Palais, a traditional Chanel venue, yet transformed it: massive, planets hung suspended above the runway, suggesting that this was not just a new collection, but a new universe.
Blazy steps into a role with a historical weight unlike almost any other in fashion. Chanel’s lineage is remarkably concise. In 115 years, the house has largely been defined by two long-term visions: Gabrielle Chanel’s foundational mission to liberate women from restrictive clothing, and Karl Lagerfeld’s nearly four-decade tenure of expansive cultural impact. Following Virginie Viard’s guardianship of the house codes, Blazy becomes only the fourth major architect of this legacy.
His appointment represents a clear strategic maneuver by Chanel leadership—a mandate for creative renewal. Amidst intense industry speculation that often favored “star designers” known for larger-than-life personas, the house made a deliberate choice. Chanel prioritized a leader praised for his groundedness and profound respect for craftsmanship over celebrity. This decision signals a prioritization of substance over ego, investing in a leader who will elevate the house’s most precious assets, its unparalleled ateliers and its culture of craft, rather than overshadowing them.
The new creative director seems keenly aware of this history, grounding his vision in the emotional core of the brand. As Blazy stated in the notes for the collection: “Chanel is about love. The birth of Modernity in fashion comes from a love story. This is what I find most beautiful. It has no time or space; this is an idea of freedom. The freedom worn and won by Gabrielle Chanel.”
This philosophy of freedom was immediately apparent in the clothing. This new iteration of Chanel has shed its perceived rigidity. It is a departure from buttoned-up formality, embracing an ease and fluidity while retaining the inherent polish of the maison. Under Blazy, Chanel feels loosened up.
The familiar vocabulary of the house was present, of course. It would be impossible to present Chanel without the strict monochrome palette, the ropes of pearls, and, fundamentally, the tweed. Yet, these elements were translated through Blazy’s tactile approach.
This approach is a signature cultivated during his career. He absorbed the conceptual rigor of Raf Simons and the intelligent, female-centric luxury of Phoebe Philo’s Céline. Pivotal, too, was his time at Maison Margiela, overseeing the avant-garde “Artisanal” line. It was there that his mastery of experimentation proved too significant for the house’s traditional anonymity, leading veteran critic Suzy Menkes to famously declare, “you can’t keep such a talent under wraps.”
This deep understanding of craft reached its zenith during his tenure at Bottega Veneta. He became renowned for his use of trompe l’oeil, playfully subverting perception. At Chanel, he applies this same tactile magic through a modern, playful lens, reinvigorating hallmark details with contemporary vitality. He introduced dynamic movement throughout the lineup, most notably with voluminous fringe skirts that seemed to float down the runway. Beautifully draped dresses highlighted his ability to merge sensuality with structure, while matching sets were elevated with floral appliqués. The traditional straight, boxy silhouette was present but softened, embracing a new fluidity.
The atmosphere of the show enhanced this sense of playful modernity. The cosmic set design was contrasted with an energetic auditory throwback. Models paraded beneath the orbiting planets to nostalgic ‘90s tracks like “I Don’t Want to Wait” and “Rhythm Is a Dancer.”
For his first show, Blazy undertook an intricate calibration and succeeded. The collection was an exercise in equilibrium, deftly navigating the tension between honoring the archive and proposing the contemporary, balancing an almost ethereal elegance with tactile reality.
The immediate, thunderous applause that greeted his bow confirmed the consensus. With a standing ovation echoing in the Grand Palais, it is clear that Blazy’s entry into the Chanel universe was not just successful, it was triumphant.
