“Chanel is about love. The birth of Modernity in fashion comes from a love story" says Matthieu Blazy, Chanel's new Artistic Director of Fashion Activities. "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.”
‘I love everything that is above: the sky, the moon, I believe in the stars’ said Gabrielle Chanel. A lover of astrology and astronomy, the Chanel Founder would have likely been captivated by the celestial dreamscape that unfolded this week in her honour.
In Paris, Chanel transported us to an alternate universe, ushering in a new era for the House. Spring-Summer 2026 marked the first Chanel collection by French-Belgian designer Matthieu Blazy.
For SS 26, the historic Grand Palais was transformed into a cosmic moonscape, in which constellations of oversized planets hung suspended throughout the space. And the collection unfolded in three distinct parts—Un Paradoxe, Le Jour, and L’Universel.
It began with Un Paradoxe—where femininity and masculinity merged seamlessly. Here, the hallmarks of menswear tailoring like a crisp white shirt or tweed suit jacket were rendered with a romantic twist. Shirts were weighted by a Chanel chain and embroidered with cursive lettering. While the suit jackets were paired with matching skirts and statement accessories.
Next, Le Jour took us on a journey of deconstructed classics designed for daytime. In adopting and adapting the architecture of the House, Blazy gave us lived-in pieces like a crushed and cherished 2.55 bag, complete with exposed burgundy leather lining. Tweeds were frayed with worn familiarity and camellias crumpled to adorn knitted silk suits that moved in motion with the body. This lent the impression of heirloom pieces that had been passed down through the generations and echoed Chanel’s own words: ‘I wanted to give a woman comfortable clothes that would flow with her body.’
In the collection’s final chapter, L’Universel, the past and future collided for a brand new world. Blazy ventured back into the past by way of House codes such as tweed suiting, pearl necklaces, and two-tone footwear. But he propelled them firmly into the future through his clever use of hand-painted linings, bold patterning, and contemporary jewellery design.
It was a fresh start, a brand new universe. But one that was grounded in over a century worth of tradition. The Universe of Chanel, as imagined through the visionary eyes of Matthieu Blazy.
‘I love everything that is above: the sky, the moon, I believe in the stars’ said Gabrielle Chanel. A lover of astrology and astronomy, the Chanel Founder would have likely been captivated by the celestial dreamscape that unfolded this week in her honour.
In Paris, Chanel transported us to an alternate universe, ushering in a new era for the House. Spring-Summer 2026 marked the first Chanel collection by French-Belgian designer Matthieu Blazy.
For SS 26, the historic Grand Palais was transformed into a cosmic moonscape, in which constellations of oversized planets hung suspended throughout the space. And the collection unfolded in three distinct parts—Un Paradoxe, Le Jour, and L’Universel.
It began with Un Paradoxe—where femininity and masculinity merged seamlessly. Here, the hallmarks of menswear tailoring like a crisp white shirt or tweed suit jacket were rendered with a romantic twist. Shirts were weighted by a Chanel chain and embroidered with cursive lettering. While the suit jackets were paired with matching skirts and statement accessories.
Next, Le Jour took us on a journey of deconstructed classics designed for daytime. In adopting and adapting the architecture of the House, Blazy gave us lived-in pieces like a crushed and cherished 2.55 bag, complete with exposed burgundy leather lining. Tweeds were frayed with worn familiarity and camellias crumpled to adorn knitted silk suits that moved in motion with the body. This lent the impression of heirloom pieces that had been passed down through the generations and echoed Chanel’s own words: ‘I wanted to give a woman comfortable clothes that would flow with her body.’
In the collection’s final chapter, L’Universel, the past and future collided for a brand new world. Blazy ventured back into the past by way of House codes such as tweed suiting, pearl necklaces, and two-tone footwear. But he propelled them firmly into the future through his clever use of hand-painted linings, bold patterning, and contemporary jewellery design.
It was a fresh start, a brand new universe. But one that was grounded in over a century worth of tradition. The Universe of Chanel, as imagined through the visionary eyes of Matthieu Blazy.
