Haute couture is usually designed with major moments in mind. For his first couture collection at Chanel, Matthieu Blazy started somewhere else.
For his first haute couture collection at Chanel, Matthieu Blazy looked at how Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel originally designed clothes. Speaking during preview interviews, Blazy said that she made “clothes for women to go to work, to go to a play, the cinema, whatever.”
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Photos from Chanel
That reference shaped his approach to couture. By keeping everyday life in mind, the collection came across as more relatable than much of what appeared on the couture runways that week.
The official show notes introduced the collection simply, while featuring transparency and muslin, the Chanel suit worn like a second skin, and birds of all colors and forms. They all carry one clear idea: freedom.
The show took place at the Grand Palais, where the runway was surrounded by oversized mushrooms and pink weeping willows. The setting echoed an anonymous haiku that opened the show:
Bird on a mushroom
I saw the beauty at once
Then gone, flown away.
The first look was a classic Chanel skirt suit, but done in nude chiffon instead of tweed. The fabric was sheer, almost weightless, with fine chains and pearls stitched into the hems to give it just enough structure. The model carried a barely-there quilted handbag, from which an embroidered note peeked out.
Throughout the collection, familiar Chanel codes were stripped back or reworked. There was no presence of tweed and camellias. In their place were transparent layers, soft tailoring, and lightness. Blazy explained that the focus was on women in motion, and that showed in the way garments flowed.
Bird imagery ran through many of the looks. Using Chanel’s specialist ateliers, Blazy translated feathers into different forms: brightly colored plumage, a raven-black raffia coat, and subtle effects created through threadwork. On one flapper-style dress, raw threads were left visible to suggest peacock feathers, while pigeon-gray petal embroidery shimmered across a sheer skirt suit.
There were also playful nods to everyday clothing. A tank top and jeans recreated in organza rather than actual denim or cotton. Psychedelic inspos echoed the mushroom-inspired set and, one of the most striking looks was a red evening gown topped with what WWD described as a “fuzzy cocoon,” calling it the chicest take yet on mushroom couture.
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Another interesting part of Blazy’s debut was when each model was invited to select something personal to be embroidered into their look. Some chose initials or dates, others symbols, words, or lines from poetry. Blazy described this as a way of reflecting what couture truly is: garments made by hand, shaped to the exact body and identity of the person who wears them. Rather than treating couture as something distant or unattainable, the collection emphasized intimacy and individuality.
Despite the delicacy of the clothes, the technical work was extensive. Blazy worked closely with Chanel’s tailleur and ateliers, as well as with the artisans of le19M.
The collection closed with the couture bride, but without traditional trains or veils. Instead, model Bhavitha Mandava wore an oversized collared shirt and a knee-length skirt, both covered in thousands of petal-like mother-of-pearl paillettes.
The finale soundtrack mixed Bittersweet Symphony and Wonderwall, prompting visible reactions from the front row, including Chanel ambassadors singing along.
Speaking to WWD ahead of the show, Matthieu Blazy said “…given what’s happening in the world, you do wonder what fashion can contribute,” He shared. “I wanted this to be a breath of fresh air.”
Watch the full show below:
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