Matthieu Blazy's Debut Show For Chanel Was Utterly Ethereal

For Spring/Summer 2026, newly named creative director Matthieu Blazy played a high-risk balancing game. Deftly—and elegantly—bridging the gap between otherworldly and grounded, sensual and sophisticated, and contemporary and archival is no easy feat, but in Chanel’s Spring/Summer 2026, it seemed like second nature for Blazy. Chanel’s Paris Fashion Week show was undeniably one of the most eagerly awaited presentations of the season, with plenty of industry attention—both creative and commercial—riding on the line’s success. But as any fashion fiend who’s brushed up on the ways of Blazy’s Bottega Veneta tenure knows, the designer is not one to disappoint. 

Feathers, florals, and flashy flair were far from scant in the Spring/Summer collection. Between delicate blooms resembling long, lithe spider mum petals affixed to the lapels of draped blazers and wreaths of robust peonies pinned along hems, sleeves, and collars, the line appeared to be positively teeming with life. Meanwhile, plentiful plumage served in similar places—adding plenty of visual interest and texture to otherwise pared-back, but perfectly tailored looks that proved striking, but never overpowering. 

In cropped, structured blazers, silky knee-length skirts, and sensual sheer styles, a new vision of the Chanel woman came alive. Punctuated by playful pops of color—polished seafoam green handbags, butter yellow trench coats, and plum-toned cardigans—a subtle, yet spirited personality lingered behind each and every look. Two-toned shoes and chain-link handbag straps offered a peek into the archives, reinvented by Blazy’s singular vision.

Despite the warm-weather season, Blazy opted for plenty of tweed—a Chanel-specific compulsion that has existed at the center of the maison’s DNA since the ’50s. Though some early viewers have bemoaned the sartorial strategy, there’s no denying that the textile, silhouette, and construction all look lighter than previous tweed iterations, lending the material a freer, more effortlessly refined air, perfectly befitting the label’s new era.