The halls of the Grand Palais are steeped in Chanel’s history. Last September, Matthieu Blazy stepped into this legacy through a set of supersized planets and swirling galaxies, which acted as the backdrop for his debut Spring/Summer 2026 collection for the house. Today, for his first foray into couture, the environment that Blazy settled on was one of whimsical sculpture. Birdsong rang out in the show space, which was carpeted in baby pink, surrounded by a circle of powdery pink willow trees and dotted with gigantic mushrooms in orange, mauve, red and white. It was a setting that conjured a sense of innocence. While nature was at the forefront of Matthieu Blazy’s vision, the true centerpiece of Blazy’s couture was body, soul, and the Chanel woman.
Launchmetrics
Launchmetrics
The first thought upon watching the show this morning was the looseness of Blazy’s couture. Elsewhere this week, we’ve seen impressive displays of couture that shouts in its most exaggerated form; by contrast, Blazy’s interpretation was more of a romantic whisper. A sweet note uttered into the ear of a lover. But isn’t this always what Chanel has been about? The soul of Coco Chanel is in couture, and with that in mind, there’s an intimacy, a closeness to the brand that one must understand in order to also understand the Chanel woman. Here, Blazy creates couture that can be worn as Gabrielle intended: by liberated women.
Launchmetrics
Launchmetrics
The first few exits set the tone for this. A skirt suit, cut in the familiar Chanel way, was offered in a blush pink silk mousseline, transparent and finished with delicate pearls on the hems. The model carried a matching translucent 2.55 bag, undone and weightless, revealing a hand-embroidered love letter. The following looks were crafted out of the same silk mousseline: sheer, drop waist dresses with featherlight jackets, tank tops with matching skirts delicately embroidered with mushroom motifs, mousseline “tweed” suits that leant into Blazy’s affinity for trompe-l'œil—a version of his white tank and blue jean combination was also updated in the transparent fabric. The first 16 exits put forward a feeling of levity to the opening track of Mary Costa’s “I Wonder” from Sleeping Beauty, before metamorphosizing into something meatier.
Launchmetrics
Launchmetrics
Blazy’s show notes emphasized birds, and the women of his collection eventually transform into them through heavier coats and feathery trimmings. Embroidery, pleating, and beadwork mimicked plumage: silk pleating evoked an image of feathers sticking out of the hem of a tweed dress, woven jackets and coats featured raw, layered edges to look like the ruffled collars of different bird species. In other instances, the reference was more literal: a red column dress was layered with a hooded jacket made entirely of black-tipped cream ostrich feathers. The intention here was to double down on the idea of freedom—the ultimate symbolism for the wandering woman.
Launchmetrics
Launchmetrics
These looks warranted as a necessary pause; to notice the delineation, the details, the essence of couture and the savoir-faire of the house of Chanel. Chanel’s codes are not only about the emancipation of women from the restrictive, conservative shapes of the post–World War I era, but in the idea of repetition and, of freedom in simplicity–-, like the boatneck LBD, which was painfully simple, but deftly executed, accessorized with great big blue costume jewelry; or the procession of perfect tailleurs in blacks so rich, the details are only visible in close up shots, which reveal sweet canary buttons at the cuffs and the base of the throat. Gabrielle Chanel’s version of freedom has always focused on silhouette: Freedom as the little black dress, as the austere raven pantsuit that can be thrown on at a moment's notice and worn time and time again.
Launchmetrics
Launchmetrics
The whimsical world Blazy built for his first ever-exploration into couture made one thing as clear as the transparent first looks: the Chanel fantasy is in trustworthy custody.
