Luxury house Chanel unveiled its Fall Winter 2026 collection, La Conversation – Part Two, on March 9th, during Paris Fashion Week. Among the guests were K-pop superstar and Blackpink member Jennie Kim, actresses Margot Robbie and Lily-Rose Depp, singer and actress Teyana Taylor, singers Angèle, Olivia Dean, and Kylie Minogue, R&B artist Gemini, and the legendary television host Oprah Winfrey.
CHANEL FW26 COLLECTION LOOKS
Gabrielle Chanel often described fashion through opposing states. In one of her reflections she spoke of clothing as both caterpillar and butterfly. Day required garments that served daily activity, while evening invited transformation through dress. Matthieu Blazy develops this concept within the collection by presenting garments that operate across multiple moments in a woman’s life.
The Fall Winter 2026 collection examines the balance between practicality and transformation. Gabrielle Chanel introduced clothing inspired by workwear and menswear into women’s wardrobes and altered its context through design. This approach reshaped modern dress. Blazy continues this exchange by addressing both practical dressing and the pleasure of transformation through clothing.
References to nature inform the visual language of the collection. Gabrielle Chanel valued simplicity in materials and colour while maintaining a strong focus on cut. The collection also incorporates decorative surfaces that evoke iridescence, embellishment, and theatrical transformation. These elements appear alongside garments that reflect everyday dressing.
Silhouettes shift through several decades within the presentation. References appear to the twenties, thirties, fifties, and sixties before returning again to contemporary proportions. This layering of time creates a wardrobe that connects historical references with present-day dressing.
Blazy interprets the Chanel suit through varied materials and construction. Ribbed knit versions appear alongside traditional tweed suits and fabrics woven with artificial fibres, lurex, and silicone combined with natural gauze. Additional pieces expand the language of suiting. A boucle-tweed work shirt and a pressed-tweed blouson introduce new interpretations within the structure of tailoring. Silk jersey garments introduce fluid drape associated with the twenties. Knitted and beaded suits demonstrate lightweight construction and increased flexibility.
Streamlined coats and dresses introduce elongated silhouettes designed for evening dressing. The collection references the papillon de nuit, or night butterfly, through garments that reflect transformation after dark.
Enamel and resin jewellery introduces saturated colour, while mother-of-pearl pieces appear in tinted variations. Cap-toed boots in pastel leather follow the contour of the foot. Bags range from practical forms to decorative objects. The suede flap bag references the quilted upholstery from Gabrielle Chanel’s apartment sofa through the divan matelassé motif. Additional designs include the kinetic lock bag and the pomegranate minaudière finished with enamel surfaces.
