CHANEL presented its Cruise 2026/27 collection in Biarritz and the choice of location is anything but coincidental. The storied coastal town was where Gabrielle Chanel opened her first couture house in 1915. CHANEL’s decision to return to the town foundational to its identity, sends a clear message: that the future of the house will continue to be written in dialogue with its origins. And that dialogue is now in the hands of Matthieu Blazy. Seaside references, couture details and fluid freedom define the collection and carry the spirit of Biarritz.

Gabrielle Chanel introduced the little black dress in 1926 through a simple crepe de chine design published in VOGUE. Her black dress removed excess fabric, heavy corsetry, and rigid structure. Editors described the garment as “Chanel’s Ford,” comparing its accessibility to the Model T automobile. Journalists framed the piece as practical, adaptable, and modern.

There’s a particular kind of magic that happens when Matthieu Blazy reimagines a classic. And nowhere is that magic more evident than in CHANEL’s latest take on two of the maison’s most revered silhouettes: the ballet flat and the slingback.

Across four distinct shows for 2026, from the RTW runway planetarium in Paris to the theatrics of a New York subway station, from the ethereal mushroom garden of Haute Couture to the glittering construction site for Fall-Winter, one consistent aesthetic philosophy has run through the makeup of every face.

At the heart of CHANEL Haute Couture lies a network of highly specialized ateliers, concentrated primarily at 31 Rue Cambon in Paris. These workrooms are not simply production spaces; they are repositories of institutional memory, technical knowledge, and creative continuity.