Métiers d’Art 2026

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CHANEL in New York City, a subway runway. Since his debut show in October, we have been waiting for the second round, to see what Matthieu Blazy and the Métiers d’Art collection would present. Would the “wow factor” carry through? Would we see more traditional CHANEL elements? What would the references be?

The show checked all the boxes – again. It was fascinating to watch – and a true ode to New York. CHANEL staged the show in the decommissioned Bowery station with models walking the platform, walking in and out of the train in New York fashion. Matthieu cited the “characters” of New York as his inspiration, saying, “When you take the subway in New York City, you truly never know who you’re going to meet. In New York, everyone takes the subways – from kids to students to world leaders, people of every background. It’s almost like it’s the vortex of the city. It connects everything.” There was so much to see, an accurate depiction of how the CHANEL woman can be every woman. The businesswoman, the party girl, the sophisticate, the college girl, the tourist, the socialite, the aspiring actress, maybe even a 1950’s gangster or undercover superhero, etc, etc. For wasn’t it Coco Chanel who said: “A girl should be two things: who and what she wants”?

Blazy also took inspiration from Coco Chanel’s first trip to America. She was commissioned to design costumes for Hollywood films. One of the most well known being “Tonight or Never” starring Gloria Swanson. The film’s title block and aesthetic appeared on the back of a leather jacket, a bag and a full ensemble.

The collection was fun. It was flashy. It was bold. And the details did not disappoint. Animal prints and accessories were shown throughout, surely a reference to the concrete jungle that is NYC. Cheetah, leopard, zebra and tiger prints appeared across various pieces – weather embellished, printed or embroidered, showcasing the craftsmanship of the métiers. Lady bugs adorned a classic suit while classic flaps were transformed into giraffes and squirrels. Sure to be popular pieces are the mini CHANEL 25 shearling handbag with snow leopard print and the maxi flap flag with cheetah print. The themed playfulness we have also come to expect from CHANEL was present in the minaudières made to resemble a red apple, to-go coffee cup, acorn and a peanut.

While a common criticism of Matthieu’s debut show for CHANEL was that there were not enough classic CHANEL suits, this collection included many iterations of the classic. Varying lengths and patterns were shown with a touch of Matthieu Blazy magic for each. There was also an abundance of bags, both in classic, well-loved styles but also new varieties – a style to appeal to every woman.

And it seemed that every woman was in attendance! In addition to the steadfast CHANEL ambassadors, Linda Evangelista, Teyana Taylor, Solange Knowles, Christine Baranski, Nicole Scherzinger, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tessa Thompson, Rosie Perez, Emily Ratajkowski and so many more lined the platform. Once again, the soundtrack was also top-notch. Oh, happy days for sure!

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