6 October 2026 |
Matthieu Blazy soars.
On a Sunday afternoon the Chanel boutique on Rue Cambon was the place to be. Editors, stylists, and influencers from around the world were spotted asking busy sales associates for something, anything on their wishlist. Dua Lipa whisked in to shop privately, with only the paparazzi waiting outside as evidence. And there were plenty of eager customers as well, drifting in and willing to wait nearly two hours to be accommodated for an appointment. Suffice to say that one year after Matthieu Blazy’s debut, this is the type of success that every luxury brand would kill for and that demand shows no sign of stopping if spring 2027 was any indication.
As always, the invitation is a necklace with charms that hint at the evening. This time it was a cloud and a bird. Upon entering the Grand Palais, where the crowd was decked out in Blazy’s designs (a red, white, and blue tweed was a particular favorite), guests were greeted with a full moon and flock of birds, wings outspread. It felt like a continuation of the story he’s telling at the brand. If his September 2025 debut was shooting for the moon and the galaxy and last season was building the foundation for success, then now is the time to spread his wings and soar.
And soar he did, with an 83 look collection that drew from the life of Gabrielle Chanel, from youth to later in life. Blazy set the tone from the get-go, with Dyanira Hurbuscher, who opened the with Chanel’s own 2.55 bag, on loan from the Patrimoine archives. Clad in a sheer knit dress with the underpinnings clearly visible, it was a nod to the restrictions of Edwardian corsetry with lines that hinted at boning. From there the looks evolved into the classic suiting that the brand is known for, rendered in drop-waisted silhouettes that gave them a sense of youth and levity, especially when worn with thin knits that allowed slivers of skin to peek through. And speaking of skin, there was plenty of it, from see-through skirts paired with branded underwear that was tugged above the waistline or sheer tanks that allowed toned abs to be simultaneously revealed and covered.
Oh, and those birds among the clouds? They were actually swifts and swallows — symbols of freedom. A section in the middle took that sense of liberation among the skies literally, with dreamy dresses that depicted morning, noon, and night, complete with complex embroidery. A particularly fun clutch, complete with lightning bolt and raindrops is a surefire collectors’ item among this section. And the idea of freedom extended onwards to the later looks, in which Blazy took the fabric manipulation and technical innovation that he’s become known for and applied it to tweed. Called “smocked tweed”, the effect is lightweight and fresh, even when it’s seen in little black dresses and skirt suits. Fittingly, the closing look featured Hurbuscher making a return in one of these suits, complete with the same archival 2.55 bag in a past meets present moment.
You’d think between the visually striking set and the use of Chanel’s original bag, that these two bits would be the most buzzed about. Or perhaps the hype over next season’s shoes and bags, which are guaranteed to sell as briskly as the current season’s offerings. But no, Blazy creates viral moments in the most unexpected ways. There was Bhavitha Mandava, the Chanel face scouted on the NYC subway, taking photos with her parents and shooting TikTok content on the runway before the show. You had the likes of front row stars Kristin Wiig, Pedro Pascal, and Dua Lipa lip synching to Adela’s “Nicole Kidman”, with the actress looking on approvingly. But perhaps the most clever moment was the casting of Rachel Ojuromi, a model from Lagos who literally manifested her way into walking the show courtesy of her Instagram reels — a Cinderella story, if there was ever one. And of course, let’s not forget the music which included aha’s “Take on Me” and Britney Spears’ “Gimme More” that had the entire room dancing in their seats. Like the song goes, gimme gimme more of Blazy’s Chanel.
