French luxury house Chanel unveiled its Spring Summer 2026 collection yesterday in Paris, marking Matthieu Blazy’s debut as Artistic Director of Fashion Activities. The show unfolded as a three-act narrative, drawing inspiration from Gabrielle Chanel’s codes and transforming them for a new era. Blazy opened with masculine tailoring, shirts and jackets recalling menswear traditions softened by Chanel proportions, before shifting into daywear that embraced lived-in textures, and finally into a universal vision of tweeds, silks, and jewellery that carried Chanel forward.
CHANEL SPRING SUMMER 2026 COLLECTION
The front row was packed with Hollywood and music superstars. Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, Blackpink‘s Jennie Kim, Tilda Swinton, Pedro Pascal, Penélope Cruz, Marion Cotillard, Vanessa Paradis, Ayo Edebiri, Michaela Coel, Pedro Almodovar and Baz Luhrmann were among the many international names in attendance.
On the runway, familiar Chanel signatures appeared reworked with new energy. The 2.55 bag surfaced in a crumpled form with its burgundy lining visible, while camellias were reimagined as rumpled appliqués on knitted silk suits. Tweeds were frayed, embroidered, or transformed into knotted knitwear. Hand-painted floral prints cascaded like petals, while jewellery layered pearls, glass planets, and enamel chains. Footwear referenced the house’s iconic two-tone toe yet was built for movement, grounding the collection’s future-facing intent.
Blazy’s debut signaled continuity with Gabrielle Chanel’s legacy while asserting his own perspective. The collection balanced pragmatism and seduction, tradition and innovation, laying the foundation for his tenure. Chanel’s Spring Summer 2026 show was a Paris Fashion Week highlight and the beginning of a new chapter for the house.
