Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel SS2026: A New Orbit for a Timeless House
When Matthieu Blazy took the creative lead at Chanel, expectations instantly soared. Everyone wondered how the man who reshaped Bottega Veneta’s quiet luxury would reinterpret one of fashion’s most powerful legacies. His goal, as he hinted before the show, was not to repeat what Chanel had already perfected but to breathe life, warmth, and humanity into it.
Blazy wanted a Chanel that felt alive. He spoke about emotion, ease, and the freedom to let classic pieces evolve with time. He aimed to create a woman who was not polished to perfection but real — someone who moves, touches, and lives in her clothes. His debut wasn’t about nostalgia; it was about continuity with emotion.
The Runway Reveal: Chanel Among the Stars
Under the soaring glass dome of the Grand Palais, guests entered a transformed universe — a cosmic stage filled with suspended planets, mirrored floors, and glimmers of light that danced like constellations. The theme was clear: Chanel had entered a new orbit.
As the first model appeared in a perfectly cut grey jacket, the collection slowly unfolded like a conversation between heritage and discovery. The silhouettes began structured, then softened with each look. Jackets were unbuttoned, skirts drifted, tweeds shimmered with unexpected lightness.
The progression was subtle but deliberate from formality to freedom. The colors echoed that same rhythm: cool silvers, misty greys, and ivory gradually warming into molten golds, corals, and cosmic blues. Everything felt touched by motion, as if gravity itself had loosened.
Blazy didn’t abandon Chanel’s famous codes — he stretched them.
Tweed remained, but with frayed edges and open threads. The iconic shirt was reimagined with fluid collars and relaxed sleeves. Pearls appeared in uneven strands. The femininity was still there, but lighter, freer, and less defined.
Bags told the clearest story.
The classic 2.55 was softened, its quilting flattened, and seams left raw. Some flaps hung open, others reshaped by time and touch. There were also new arrivals: flat leather flaps with minimal branding, oversized suede totes, crescent-shaped hobos, and a celestial “Sphere” bag that glimmered like a planet from the set above.
Blazy’s message was unmistakable: the Chanel woman no longer carries an artifact — she carries a piece of her own life.
As the show ended and the mirrored floor dimmed, conversations rippled through the crowd. Industry veterans, editors, and muses of the house all had opinions, strong ones. The admirers described it as poetic and intelligent. They saw courage in his restraint and subtlety in his storytelling. “It wasn’t about noise,” one critic said. “It was about movement — about Chanel finally exhaling.” Many praised how Blazy balanced Coco’s masculine-feminine tension with a modern softness. The skeptics, however, weren’t as convinced. Several pointed out that the square-front shoes and supple leathers felt too close to his previous vocabulary at Bottega Veneta. Some missed the punch of an instantly iconic piece — something that could mark a clear new era. “Beautiful, yes,” one guest whispered. “But I expected a bigger moment.”
Still, there was agreement on one thing: the show had emotion. Even the critics left acknowledging that it felt deeply considered — more like a dialogue than a debut.
Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel SS2026 isn’t a revolution; it’s a realignment.
He didn’t try to shock or overpower the brand’s legacy. Instead, he reintroduced humanity into its structure, giving form to imperfection and life to icons. The cosmic setting wasn’t just a backdrop; it was a metaphor for Chanel’s new trajectory — floating beyond the safety of its orbit while still staying tethered to its history.
It was emotional, calm, and complex, the kind of debut that doesn’t scream but stays with you.
Whether loved or debated, it achieved what every strong collection should: it made people feel.
My Perspective
For me, this collection was beautiful in its atmosphere — poetic, celestial, and full of intent. The way Blazy layered softness over structure, or turned classic Chanel silhouettes into something almost weightless, was breathtaking. The bags in particular stood out: their textures, their ease, the sense that they could belong to anyone and age with grace.
But I’ll admit — my expectations were high. I hoped to see something that felt entirely new, something that would separate Blazy’s Chanel from the shadows of his Bottega past. The soft leathers, the curved forms, and the subtle geometry carried echoes I couldn’t unsee.
Still, there was a sincerity in it all. He didn’t hide behind spectacles; he created emotion. His debut might not have delivered the “instant icon” people wanted, but it gave something more meaningful — a quiet conviction that Chanel can still evolve without losing its soul.
In the end, I left the show feeling two things at once: admiration and anticipation. Because if this was the first step, I can’t wait to see how Blazy defines the next.