It was an unprecedented season for fashion month as upward of 15 new creative directors took the helm at the biggest brands in fashion, but the industry was awaiting one key moment: Matthieu Blazy's first collection at Chanel. It was arguably the most anticipated designer debut of the season. Last year, news broke of Blazy's departure from Bottega Veneta, where he joined in 2020. In December 2024, his appointment as the new artistic director at Chanel was announced—a role he is now stepping into after Virginie Viard's prior exit. For 10 months, the industry waited to see how Blazy would put his stamp on Chanel. This arrived at Paris Fashion Week, and we got our first glimpse of Blazy's vision for Chanel with his debut spring/summer 2026 collection that concluded fashion month.
As attendees arrived to the show at the Grand Palais in Paris, they walked into a fantastical set designed to look like an illuminated solar system. Blazy's Chanel was, unmistakably, a new universe. "We can go two ways," Blazy told Tim Blanks in an interview for Business of Fashion. "Either we do a clean, modern, by the codes, by the book Chanel show, and it's a first step. Or we do this show as if it was our last. I took the last option." The collection he unveiled was confident and new. Though it infused the heritage and house codes from Coco Chanel, it was distinctly Blazy, from the first look to the finale, and will usher in a new era for the French fashion house and perhaps fashion as a whole. Ahead, read more on Matthieu Blazy's debut spring/summer 2026 collection for Chanel.
A New Chanel Universe
The Grand Palais was transformed into a nighttime solar system with glowing planets suspended throughout the space. The fantastical set brought showmanship back to the Chanel runway show, which was a hallmark of Karl Lagerfeld's collections. "This is a universe, the Universe of Chanel," read the show notes. The out-of-this-world set left no question that we're entering an entirely new Chanel universe through the lens of Blazy.
Redefining the Classics
Though Blazy didn't shy away from his vision for Chanel, he did revisit some of the house codes on the runway, often in deconstructed forms. "Lived-in with the worn familiarity of the truly chic, items feel passed down and utilised," the show notes shared. "The 2.55 bag is crashed, crushed, and cherished, its traditional burgundy leather lining exposed; crumpled camellias are intrinsic and integral to knitted silk suits; frayed tweeds of the past are quietly advanced to the present, at times delineated and embroidered."
In With the New
As Blazy explained in his interview with Blanks, he set out to design his debut show as if it was his last. Rather than warm us up to what we might see from his collections several seasons into the future, Blazy brought us directly into where he wants to take Chanel. It was a moment that marked a new chapter for the fashion house.
The 2026 Bags
All eyes were on the accessories, specifically the bags. Standout styles on the runway include Blazy's new interpretation of the classic 2.55 bag—lived-in, creased, and well-worn. It's not the first time a creative director has brought back the iconic silhouette. In February 2005, Lagerfeld released an exact copy of the original 2.55 in commemoration of the 50th anniversary. More standout bag styles we can expect to be big in 2026 include new takes on the classic quilted leather tote, suede top-handle bags with a subtle CC detail, and double-sided flap bags with chain handles.
The Two-Tone Heels, Reimagined
Chanel's most coveted shoes are designed around the two-tone colorway. Blazy introduced new versions of the iconic toe-cap design executed in slingback versions with modern vamps and slightly square toe shapes as well as pump versions. He also showcased sock heels with architectural lines that are set to be a key buy in 2026—the most modern version yet of the two-tone Chanel shoes.
