Chanel: soft, starry and simply out of this world

The show opened with a cropped jacket trouser suit, and the iconic 2:55 handbag deliberately open swinging from the model's hand, firmly rooting Blazy’s Chanel in the same menswear codes favoured by Chanel herself, who borrowed from her lover and muse, Arthur ‘Boy’ Capel. Chanel's own shirts were by French shirtmaker Charvet. Blazy’s version for SS26, as photographed by David Bailey for the teaser campaign, came weighted by a Chanel chain and retained the proportions of menswear.

The fabrications were given the same magician-like quality that Blazy brought to his tenure at Bottega Veneta, where he memorably showed a checked shirt and baggy jeans look on Kate Moss that was revealed to be made entirely from leather. Signature Chanel tweeds and bouclé were reworked across the 77 looks with the deftness of a seasoned couturier; a twinset and skirt suit in red and white was made from knotted crochet, tweeds were rendered in caviar beads that dripped into fringing and chiffon and raffia tufts exploded like fireworks from fitted tops. A flower theme ran throughout, appearing as a single corsage through to a full-blown skirt of silk blooms inspired by an anecdote about Chanel chastising Boy Capel for not sending her flowers – he responded by having a bouquet delivered every two hours for two days until her atelier resembled a flower shop. The silhouette was softer and more modern than previously seen at the house.

Pure joy radiated in the final look; a gown with a carnival skirt of silk and feather flowers inspired by Flemish bouquets and dubbed the “Piña Colada” dress by Blazy’s design team. It was worn by model Awar Odhiang, who danced and clapped during her finale walk, matching the energy in the room.

“Blazy showed complete respect for the house, its codes and its ateliers, while at the same time shifting the look and feel of Chanel into a new chapter,” said Simon Longland, Buying Director at Harrods. “His modernisation was both intelligent and beautiful ... recalling the shirts Coco herself wore, which brought a lightness and purity not seen in recent collections.” In his role as artistic director of fashion activities, Blazy is responsible for producing 10 collections a year, including the seasonal Coco Beach and Coco Neige collections, as well as the prestigious haute couture collections – the first of which will be unveiled in January. The world's second-largest luxury brand Chanel saw its revenue fall by 4.3% in 2024 to €17.9bn and is looking to Blazy to reverse the downturn. After an effusive standing ovation that sealed his place in the Chanel history books, Blazy not only closed Paris fashion week with a bang but also put his foot to the floor in a compelling new direction.