Matthieu Blazy’s Joyful Chanel Debut Closes Paris Fashion Week

Beneath a galaxy of suspended planets at the Grand Palais, Matthieu Blazy closed Paris Fashion Week with one of its most anticipated moments. The collection marked his first since departing Bottega Veneta, where his sculptural approach to craftsmanship redefined modern luxury, and anticipation in Paris was palpable. Blazy’s Chanel debut for Spring/Summer 2026 unfolded like a quiet exchange between past and present, distilling Gabrielle Chanel’s enduring codes of freedom, precision, and ease.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of CHANEL

Blazy began with a gesture of origin: the menswear once borrowed by Gabrielle Chanel from Boy Capel. Crisp shirts and tailored trousers grounded the collection, softened by hand-finished details and quiet sensuality. From there, structure gave way to motion. Tweeds appeared slightly frayed, silk knits rippled with movement, and camellias were imperfect and alive — Chanel signatures reimagined with texture and touch.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of CHANEL

The progression built toward fluid, otherworldly glamor: feathered skirts in explosions of color, sheer embroidered gowns, and striped knits that blurred craft and modernity. Each look moved like a conversation between strength and softness, history and invention.

Blazy’s Chanel doesn’t chase nostalgia; it redefines it. The black-toe pumps, the pearls, the chains all remained, but their presence felt freer, less ceremonial. A white satin T-shirt paired with a cloud of feathers closed the show, distilling the collection’s message: elegance without constraint.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of CHANEL

If one word could define the show, it would be joy. The finale erupted in applause as Blazy stepped onto the runway, greeting model Awar Odhiang with an embrace that felt both emotional and symbolic — a genuine expression of the hope and forward motion that defined his debut. In his first act for the house, Blazy didn’t overwrite Gabrielle Chanel’s codes; he made them breathe again. The result was a Chanel for today: intelligent, emotive, and in constant motion.