CHANEL Fall/Winter 2026: Matthieu Blazy’s Second Act Is Sending the World Into a Frenzy

On March 9th, beneath the glass vaulted ceiling of the Grand Palais, giant cranes in lacquered primary colors stretched skyward like a rainbow, as Matthieu Blazy presented CHANEL’s Fall/Winter 2026 collection. Comprising 78 looks, the show marks Blazy’s second ready-to-wear collection for the house — a highly anticipated follow-up to his debut last autumn.

The Philosophy of the Caterpillar and the Butterfly

The collection is deeply rooted in the words left behind by Gabrielle Chanel: “Fashion is both caterpillar and butterfly. Be a caterpillar by day and a butterfly by night. There is nothing more comfortable than a caterpillar and nothing more made for love than a butterfly. We need dresses that crawl and dresses that fly. The butterfly doesn’t go to the market, and the caterpillar doesn’t go to the ball.”

In response to this metaphor, Blazy wrote in his show notes: “Chanel is a paradox. Chanel is function, Chanel is fiction. Chanel is sensible, Chanel is seductive. Chanel is day, Chanel is night. It represents the freedom to choose between the caterpillar and the butterfly whenever you want. I wish to create a canvas for women to be unapologetically who they are and who they want to be.”

The soundtrack, too, was a compelling embodiment of transformation — an intricate remix of Lady Gaga’s millennial club anthem “Just Dance,” Cape Verdean morna music, and voiceovers from the documentary Forbidden Love and the film Billy Elliot, sending layered questions about metamorphosis reverberating through the entire venue.

The Suit as Canvas

Having boldly challenged the maison’s bourgeois codes in his debut collection, Blazy approached this season with a more relaxed ease, deepening his dialogue with Chanel’s history. At the heart of the collection stood the iconic Chanel suit. The boxy, mid-length silhouette appeared in over 20 variations — from cream tweed with fringe trim to floral brocade and appliqué, to pastel plaids coated in sequins.

The spirit of La Garçonne, established by Gabrielle Chanel in the 1920s, ran through the collection like a bass line — boyish tailoring and easy silhouettes threading their way throughout. The feminine round-collar, bracelet-sleeve jacket gave way to masculine-coded work shirts and blousons, carrying the same effortless ease as the half-zip Blazy himself wore to take his bow. Fabrics, too, were playfully explored: beyond classic bouclé tweed, ribbed knits and intricate weaves threaded with lurex, silicone, and gauze made their presence felt.

Skirts held their own without matching jackets, with pleated drop-waist dresses accented by red leather belts — a timeless hybrid that fused 1920s silhouettes with 2020s hip-slung proportions. Trousers were barely in sight, making only a handful of appearances as a quiet counterpoint to the statement outerwear they were styled with.

Day into Night: The Rise of the Papillon de Nuit

As the collection moved into its second half, the mood shifted from daytime functionality toward nocturnal sensuality. Silhouettes evoking the “papillon de nuit” — the night butterfly — emerged: streamlined coats and fluid dresses draped in iridescent shimmer, taking flight into the evening world. Toward the finale, a parade of fairy-like looks complete with metallic handbags and matching hair read as a warm tribute to the late Karl Lagerfeld.

Reimagining the Icons: Bags and Accessories

This season’s accessories were characteristically intelligent and playful. The flap bag arrived in pristine condition — a deliberate contrast to last season’s wired, intentionally worn-in version. The standout piece was a quilted Caviar bag featuring double hardware: the flat-link chain strap and Mademoiselle turnlock from Gabrielle Chanel’s original 2.55 (1955), alongside the CC closure and ribbon-threaded strap of Lagerfeld’s 11.12 (1983) — a bricolage of two defining eras, united in a single bag. The range spanned from micro pomegranate-shaped minaudières to oversized plush flap bags, with quilted suede dominating throughout and offering a fresh take on the matelassé pattern.

In footwear, the two-tone V-vamp pumps returned this season as mules and second-skin cap-toe boots, joined by sandals adorned with textured flowers. Pearls and camellias were scattered throughout the jewelry.

Finale: Beyond a Century

The 78-look show closed with supermodel Anne V in a black jersey dress — a tribute to the little black dress that Gabrielle Chanel designed 100 years ago, forever changing the course of fashion. As “Just Dance” rang out through the Grand Palais, the finale distilled the room’s excitement into a single moment: a collective conviction that a new era of Chanel, with Blazy at the helm, had truly begun.

The frenzy has spread well beyond the venue. Since Blazy’s spring pieces arrived in boutiques, sellouts have followed in rapid succession, with queues forming daily outside Parisian stores. Like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly, Chanel is in the midst of its own breathtaking transformation.

See all the looks from the Chanel Fall/Winter 2026 collection in the gallery below.

CHANEL Fall Winter 2026 Show

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