It’s Matthieu Blazy’s world and we’re just living in it. Since his debut ready-to-wear collection dropped in Chanel boutiques on 5 March, pieces have been flying off the shelves with queues of fashion lovers snaking down Rue Cambon in hopes of getting their hands on history. The creative director’s sophomore ready-to-wear collection, autumn/winter 2026, will no doubt conjure the same level of fanfare.
The show was “a dialogue between the real and the artificial,” according to the show notes. Blazy was inspired by a quote by Gabrielle Chanel, where she explains how one should “be a caterpillar by day and a butterfly by night.” The result is a collection that is part classic codes, part grown-up fairy princess, all staged on a gently shimmering runway dotted with colourful cranes – a symbol of Matthieu constructing the new Chanel, perhaps? In recent years, the Chanel woman has continued to warrant a reputation of elegance, though rigid at times. Blazy breaks those barriers, creating pieces designed for movement that flow with the body rather than fight against it. It is sartorial freedom in every sense of the word: the rebellious, era-defining codes implemented by Coco Chanel meet a tongue-in-cheek modernity that champions expression.
The “real” came to life through tweeds, eveningwear and denim-look layers, while whimsical wildcards manifested in mesh skirts, sequinned suiting and extreme drop-waist dresses. Although the former made it clear that this was an autumn/winter collection, the lightness of iridescent embellishments echoed the optimism of summer, proving that Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel wardrobe is one to treasure for seasons to come. If you can get your hands on it, that is.
