When Matthieu Blazy stepped into his role as creative director at Chanel earlier in April, the luxury world took note. Appointed in December 2024, he inherited a house that is the most recognizable around the world and the most resistant to change. The announcement that he would succeed Virginie Viard prompted curiosity: how would a designer celebrated for his work at Bottega Veneta translate that sensibility to one of the most iconic maisons in French fashion?

The house’s Spring/Summer 2026 show, presented on October at the Grand Palais, closed Paris Fashion Week under a celestial set of suspended planets, signaling more than a new season. Blazy’s presentation was just the beginning of a new era at Chanel and possibly hinted at a path that house might soon take: relaxed tailoring. The October show built on that groundwork, refining the message rather than reinventing it. The collection revealed a designer balancing reverence and revision, loosening the seams of heritage while keeping its spirit intact.

The show kept Chanel’s essential markers: tweeds, pearls, and camellias, but viewed through a freer lens. Jackets were longer, skirts fell away from the body, and the classic suit took on an air of effortlessness. The signature camellias appeared oversized or rendered in unexpected materials, while handbags came with slouched shapes that resisted structure. The collection’s tone was almost cinematic, as if inviting the audience to see Chanel not as costume but as clothing.

Chanel SS26 Look 32

Chanel SS26 Look 54

Blazy’s eye for materiality, honed through years at Maison Margiela, Celine, and Bottega Veneta, was unmistakable. The tweeds seemed less rigid, the knits had subtle irregularities, and the metallic finishes carried a lived-in gleam. It truly was a collection built on touch.

The show’s relaxed elegance felt less like a rejection of tradition and more like a recalibration. Instead of the usual stiffness that sometimes defined the Viard era, Blazy introduced motion. He allowed the clothes to breathe. The crushed metallic handbags, paired with frayed tweeds and soft leather flats, suggested a vision of luxury integrated into the everyday.

Luxury has reached an inflection point. The modern client no longer wants absolute perfection. Chanel, historically a symbol of polish and sophistication, must now navigate a generation that values comfort and character alongside craftsmanship. Blazy’s approach addresses that evolution without surrendering the house’s identity.

Chanel SS26 Look 11

Blazy’s debut collection signaled that creative leadership will be key to growth. By leaning into authenticity, he is positioning Chanel to speak to a global audience without diluting its Parisian core.

Behind the runway, it seemed the strategy was equally deliberate. Chanel’s president of fashion, Bruno Pavlovsky remarked backstage that the house “needed a new spark,” noting that “if Chanel looked the same, we would be super upset.” The statement echoed a broader truth: even icons must evolve.

Discover the full Spring Summer 2026 collection at Chanel.com