5 October 2026
Matthieu Blazy’s Spring/Summer 2027 Ready-to-Wear collection for CHANEL was a spectacular feat of 83 looks. The collection imagined Gabrielle Chanel through the many identities she inhabited throughout her life. Rather than focusing on a single period or familiar House code, Blazy considers Chanel as a woman who was constantly evolving.
“Throughout their lives, women become multiple selves, different faces of the same coin,” Blazy explains. “And here, it’s about one woman, Gabrielle, who then became Chanel.”
Image Credit: CHANEL
Image Credit: CHANEL
That idea is reflected throughout the collection, which moves between the masculine and feminine, the structured and the relaxed, the historical and the distinctly modern.
Jersey underwear, one of Gabrielle Chanel’s earliest departures from convention, opens the collection before giving way to tailoring, gilets, trousers and pencil skirts. Menswear remains an important reference, but Blazy gives it a distinctly feminine character, much as Chanel herself did when she began borrowing elements from the male wardrobe.
Image Credit: CHANEL
Image Credit: CHANEL
Image Credit: CHANEL
Image Credit: CHANEL
Image Credit: CHANEL
Tweed is similarly reconsidered. A new “smocked tweed” gives the traditionally structured fabric greater stretch and movement, while raw edges and exposed construction bring a relaxed quality to familiar silhouettes. Throughout the collection, tailoring appears lighter and more fluid. Jackets sit close to the body while skirts reveal movement underneath. Raw edges, exposed construction and unexpected proportions make familiar pieces feel less formal. The effect is particularly striking when the suit is worn directly against bare skin. The idea is almost provocative in its simplicity. The jacket becomes a second skin rather than an armour.
Image Credit: CHANEL
Image Credit: CHANEL
Image Credit: CHANEL
Image Credit: CHANEL
Image Credit: CHANEL
There are also references to the clothing Chanel moved away from. Corsetry, ruffles, peplums and Edwardian shapes appear in softened forms, transforming restrictive historical dress into something lighter. Printed silks are layered and allowed to move around the body, creating an almost weightless effect.
Image Credit: CHANEL
Image Credit: CHANEL
The bags move between CHANEL’s history and its future. The show opens and closes with Dyanira Hurbuscher carrying Gabrielle Chanel’s own 2.55 bag from the House archives – a symbolic full circle moment – with various interpretations of the familiar flap, chain and minaudière in between.
Image Credit: CHANEL
Image Credit: CHANEL
Image Credit: CHANEL
Image Credit: CHANEL
Image Credit: CHANEL
Image Credit: CHANEL
Image Credit: CHANEL
Image Credit: CHANEL
Image Credit: CHANEL
Image Credit: CHANEL
Image Credit: CHANEL
Image Credit: CHANEL
What makes this collection interesting is that Blazy is not attempting to recreate Gabrielle Chanel. Instead, he looks at the qualities that allowed her to become Chanel in the first place: curiosity, independence and a willingness to change. In considering these qualities, he is asking: “What would Gabrielle Chanel do next?” Spring/Summer 2027 feels like another step in Blazy’s growing relationship with the House.
Image Credit: CHANEL
Image Credit: CHANEL
Image Credit: CHANEL
Image Credit: CHANEL
Image Credit: CHANEL
Image Credit: CHANEL
Image Credit: CHANEL