The French fashion house Chanel in the Grand Palais opened a new chapter in its history on Monday evening. It presented the first collection under the creative direction of Matthieu Blazy. The result is a Chanel woman who is deeply rooted in today’s world and exudes a recessed modernity.
The Chanel silhouettes by Matthieu Blazy
In a nightly backdrop that was illuminated by the light of the planets of our solar system, Matthieu Blazy’s first Chanel silhouette shone through its apparent simplicity. It consisted of a gray ensemble that combined suit trousers with a short jacket with up rolled up sleeves. The new creative director decided on a gentle transition. He initiated the collection with a classic “Officewear” outfit and added his characteristic imaginative note: a few earrings with shaggy petals.
This was followed by several slotted skirts in neutral tones and ensembles of great fluid ease. The extravagance is initially hidden in the details such as thick choker necklaces and earrings in bright colors. In the course of the collection, it emerged more and more. A hairstyle made of red springs gave a long, shimmering nude dress a rebellious look. White feathers on the hems of a dark coat broke up its strict.
The classic opening music was followed by an electric rhythm that matched the twist of the collection. The ensembles made of skirts and long -sleeved tops preserved the classicism typical of Chanel. At the same time, they gained modernity through flowing stitches, floral frieze or moving volume. Little by little the waist sank and recalled the silhouettes of the 1920s, a formative decade for the fashion house.
Several contemporary ensembles are remarkable that combine an elegant skirt with an oversized, minimalist blouse. Modernity is also evident in the game with surprising materials. This is a characteristic of Matthieu Blazy’s style, which he developed with his former employer, the Italian fashion house Bottega Veneta.
In this summer collection there are also several elements that resemble those who had presented the creative director in the women’s collections of the Italian brand. This includes, for example, close clothes and dresses with a low waist and fringe bushes.
The tweed suit gains ease
Under the direction of Matthieu Blazy, Chanel’s iconic tweed suit loses its classic rigor and gains ease. The material is broken and is revived by bright colors, relief effects and energetic geometric patterns. With its game of transparency and a modernized cut through a wide, deep-seated belt, this key piece of the Chanel wardrobe blazy tries. He wants to make the brand for young people: make it desirable on the inside.
A strong symbol for the emancipation of women
The collection for the spring/summer 2026 was not a complete surprise. Even before the presentation, the brand had awakened the audience’s curiosity with a first teaser. Last weekend, the Chanel team published a black and white picture on the brand’s Instagram account that showed the back, shoulders and the delicate neck of a brunette woman. Her bob cut inevitably reminded of Gabrielle Chanel himself, who often occurred with a Garçonne cut. This was a way of announcing the return to the origins and paying tribute to the founder.
With the allusion to the iconic Garçonne cut, Matthieu Blazy also revived a strong symbol of the female emancipation of the 1920s. In this decade, short haircuts for women were an act of rebellion. In addition, the quote “A woman who cuts her hair is a woman who is about to change her life” with Gabrielle Chanel – a sentence that aptly described the situation.
Finally, the subtle feather subject gave the picture a playful note. You could think it was a few earrings that merged with the hair. This is also a typical feature of David Bailey, the author of the campaign. The English fashion photographer contributed to revolutionizing the image of women in the 1960s. In subtle elegance, minimalism and non -conformism, which often characterize its work, a parallel to Matthieu Blazys style can easily be seen.
Bet successful?
The expectations of Matthieu Blazy are high. The new creative director of Chanel’s fashion division, which was appointed in December 2024, is to help the famous French fashion house to be an old shine. He also has to end the Karl Lagerfeld era, which shaped the brand from 1983 to 2019. The challenge is all the greater in a difficult economic environment for the luxury sector. This has also not spared the Chanel Group: In 2024, the net profit fell 28.2 percent to $ 3.4 billion (around 3.13 billion euros) compared to 2023.
With Matthieu Blazy, Chanel chose a creative director with a solid track record. His work at Bottega Veneta had helped the brand to grow sales. The collection that he has now designed for the French house seems to be directly linked to his work for Bottega Veneta. It is found in it the same creativity and the same apparent simplicity with a touch of playfulness. Above all, it shows a very portable chic that does not take itself too seriously. In short, enough to lead Chanel into a new era.
This article was used with digital tools translated.
Fashionunited uses artificial intelligence to accelerate the translation of articles and improve the end result. They help us make the international reporting of fashionunited a German -speaking readership quickly and comprehensively accessible. Articles that have been translated using AI-based tools are read and carefully edited by our editor: Correcting inside before they are published. If you have any questions or comments, please contact me by email to [email protected]