Ten Looks: CHANEL SS26

The fashion world was waiting for Mathieu Blazy’s fresh take on Chanel, and this past fall, the creative director—only the fourth to helm the maison in 115 years—delivered, breathing new life into the house’s seemingly endless design codes.

Some of the effects were subtle, like how the famed double-C logo was barely apparent, placed only discreetly on the flaps of handbags. Other elements were more obvious: the camellia was reinterpreted as a spiky, bouncy flower, appearing on brooches, earrings, hats, and bag charms. Cap-toed shoes were reimagined into modern shapes (square, diagonal, almond) and had splashes of punchy color.

The boxy button-down shirts were a collaboration with Charvet, where Coco Chanel would buy gifts for her boyfriend. One such shirt was paired with a red, feathery evening skirt signifying “the ultimate paradox” and reminding us of Coco’s freedom and desire to make men’s garments her own. Blazy further channeled her tomboy spirit in the cropped men’s sport coats that opened the show and the jersey underwear that peeked out from skirts.

The designer also demonstrated his technical know- how with garments that hung effortlessly on the body. Knitted skirts revealed a bit of leg, an asymmetrical black-and-white silk gown featured rolled-up sleeves, and tweed ensembles, long a house signature, were lighter than in past years. The effervescent mood of the show was captured perfectly during the finale when model Awar Odhiang walked out, her smile dazzling, wearing a white silk blouse paired with a colorful ballgown skirt and threw her arms up in the air. A memorable moment of bliss.