Matthieu Blazy, the French-Belgian designer now steering Chanel, unveiled his first haute couture collection in early 2026, confirming a confident new chapter - one rooted in joy, heritage, and an instinctive understanding of women and wonder.
Blazy framed haute couture as an expression of women’s pleasure. Existing beyond utility, serving not necessity but emotion, imagination, and the enduring power of beauty.
From animated birds assisting petites mains to a bubblegum-pink forest of willows and oversized mushrooms, Blazy transformed the Grand Palais into a whimsical rabbit hole, inviting audiences to follow Chanel into a modern, grown-up fairytale.
The show opened with a boxy Chanel suit reimagined in tissue-thin mousseline, its signature chain glittering freely. Heritage codes appeared lighter, fluid, and more playful proving that reverence need not feel restrictive or heavy.
Visual Illusion returned triumphantly: denim jeans revealed as painted mousseline, feathers crafted from leather, and jewellery that flirted with fantasy. Blazy’s couture balanced technical heroism with intimacy, and quietly audacious imagination.
Multigenerational and multiracial casting underscored Blazy’s warmth towards women. Models brought lived-in authority, grounding the fantasy. Chanel felt less about idealised beauty, more about recognition allowing clients to truly see themselves on the runway.
Each model contributed something personal - initials, poetry, or cherished dates, embroidered discreetly by Lesage. Hidden inside garments and handbags, these secret details turned couture into storytelling, honouring memory, kindness, and individuality
A standing ovation, industry euphoria, and clients posing beneath pink willows confirmed it: Blazy’s Chanel has entered a fairytale era. Light, emotional, and assured, his couture debut proves the biggest job in fashion is firmly enchanted.