Chanel's New Cosmos

The fourth designer ever to take the reins at Chanel in its 115 years, Matthieu Blazy’s first collection for the French fashion house was always going to be a cosmic moment. So the scene was set: beneath a constellation of suspended planets at the Grand Palais. Here, Blazy brought the legacy of Chanel into a new era, tracing its past and paving its future. “Chanel is about love,” Blazy said in his show notes. “The birth of modernity in fashion comes from a love story.”

The show opened with a throwback to a shirt borrowed and worn by Gabrielle Chanel from her partner Boy Capel. It was then made by iconic French shirtmaker Charvet who has contributed to the fabric and technique of three unique designs for its spring-summer ‘26 reimagining.

The historical house codes are present throughout the collection - sharp tailoring, tweed, toe caps, pearls and chains - but with a modern ease, softened through playful use of texture and movement. Fluid knitted silk dresses and feathered skirts; loose cut suits, sheer tartan and tweed that frays at the hem; untamed cotton and silk camelia brooches and the iconic 2.55 bag softly worn in effect. This is an easy glamour that masterfully blends the past, present and future to ring in a new era for Chanel.