So, when hordes of antsy fashionistas, models and magazine editors flocked to Chanel’s 31 Rue Cambon flagship in Paris during the first week of March, it was clear that one name had not only evaded the abovementioned curse, but had come out on top of the great designer swap: Matthieu Blazy.
You could say that Blazy has something of a Midas touch. Prior to his rapturously welcomed debut at Chanel, he had a highly successful three-year run at Italian couturier Bottega Veneta. His collections — consistently beautiful and characterised by meticulous tailoring, bold colour combinations and explosions of texture — pushed the already beloved house further towards the industry forefront. His bags and shoes in particular proved to be It items with enduring popularity. His acute style sense not only worked wonders when it came to fashion, but also in other artistic fields (which is no surprise as he was born to a French art expert father and Belgian historian mother) — see his perfume releases, as well as his work for Milan’s Salone del Mobile furniture fair and The Ark animalbeanbags produced with Zanotta.
Blazy’s debut Chanel show happened last October, nearly a year after he was announced as the maison’s newest head, so you can imagine the anticipation in the months leading up to the Spring/Summer 2026 runway. Guests arrived at Les Grand Palais in Paris, which had been transformed into a fantastical solar system with glowing planets suspended throughout the space, as if to reference the Big Bang and the subsequent refresh of the galaxy. A line in the show notes — “This is a universe, the Universe of Chanel” — emphasised this. It was also hard not to see the set as a nod to founder Gabrielle Chanel’s love of celestial bodies and the cosmos, and the iconic Karl Lagerfeld’s zeal for dramatic runways and storytelling.
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The 77 silhouettes themselves paid homage to quintessential house codes, and yet were unmistakably Blazy. Tweeds came frayed and embroidered, manipulated to showcase the timeless textile’s surprising versatility. Knitted silks formed camellia-adorned suits and dresses marked with graphic Art Deco lines, echoing the maison’s packaging. Accessories, ever important to Mademoiselle Chanel, came in the form of ropes of baroque pearls, glass planets and enamel chains — stacked in delicious layers around the neck — as well as feathered brooches and earrings. Models strutted in reimagined two-tone shoes executed as slingbacks and pumps.
The 2026 bags — the loyal Chanel client’s most desired item — received the most fanfare post-show as at the boutiques. The 2.55 bag, crushed and fashioned to expose its burgundy leather lining, became an immediate collector’s piece. Maxi flap and bowling bags blown up to a scale so rarely seen in previous collections came in lush grained calfskin and suede, finished with subtle metallic hardware. For the evening, black and white purses on leather and chain straps and a pair of whimsical minaudières shaped like an egg and constellation globe won the hearts of the classic minimalists and magic believers alike.
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Blazy has since released more collections for Chanel, namely the 2026 presentations for Métiers d’art that debuted on a New York subway platform, as well as Haute Couture and the most recent Autumn/Winter lines, where the house returned to Les Grand Palais and converted the venue into a fairy-tale wonderland and then a multicoloured construction site with towering cranes. At each, the designer’s vision deepened, never straying from what has kept the label so treasured for more than a century, while proving that fashion is, at the end of the day, a medium for experimentation and expression. It is no wonder that such finesse has the power to inspire the ongoing shopping craze, which we expect to continue for seasons to come.
Bagging rights
The season’s five most covetable new arrivals
Large Shopping Bag
Bucking the trend of peddling vanity cases as the apex of aspiration, creative director Matthieu Blazy doubles down with an unapologetically XXL tote that verges on weekend territory, championing the active executive who hauls a laptop, notebook and yes, a spare pair of pumps, without sacrificing chic. The narrow profile and short under-arm strap keep the proportions city-ready, while an internal pocket and front flap give your keys and phone a home. Finally, a carryall that moves as fast — and as purposefully — as you do.
Maxi Flap Bag
No icon in the Chanel canon is more freighted with expectation than this mythologised silhouette. The quilting returns, rendered in supple suede with a softened double-flap construction and the signature interlocking CC stitched detail. The dark beige — not the crisp hue of house heritage — exudes something warmer and worn-in, as though the piece has already accumulated a history worth envying. Gold-tone hardware glints warmly, while the balanced dimensions allow it to sit against the body with an easy, uncontrived elegance. This is Gabrielle’s flap, dreamed again.
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Large Clutch
Long, slim and immaculate, the clutch is the sartorialist’s quiet weapon. Tucked beneath the arm, it lengthens the line of a blazer; held in hand, it becomes a horizontal counterpoint to a column dress. Rendered in smooth lambskin, this updated version (available in black, beige and dark burgundy) features a curved base that swells gently against a clean frame clasp, with nothing but a discreet CC to break the surface.
Large Hobo Bag
For a label built on the idea that true confidence never shouts, the introduction of a five-panel chevron is, by its own demanding standards, a statement. The pattern has appeared in its back catalogue before, but never with such graphic intensity. The envelope-style flap and gold-tone chain strap do the diplomatic work of keeping it within familiar codes. The rest is pure provocation — and all the more compelling for it.
Large Bowling Bag
The cylindrical form remains one of fashion’s most exacting propositions — and that tension is precisely what Chanel exploits in its SS26 interpretation. White lambskin piping commands immediate attention, while a discreet two-tone snap closure lifts the design from sporting reference into something altogether more considered. The most approachable piece in this edit, it moves easily from everyday errand to evening aperitivo. – Compiled by Kong Wai Yeng
