Blazy’s Chanel debut year drove revenue up 16 percent in early 2026

Matthieu Blazy showed Chanel’s Spring/Summer 2027 ready-to-wear collection at Paris Fashion Week on October 5, 2026. The designer presented a celebration of Gabrielle Chanel’s path to liberation, rendered through birdlife imagery and an updated fabric palette that mixed classic tweeds with contemporary technical materials. The show underscored Blazy’s emerging strategy: modernizing Chanel’s iconic codes without abandoning them, a balance that has driven the house’s revenue up 16 percent in the first half of 2026.

Blazy was named Virginie Viard’s successor in December 2024, began the role in April 2025, and showed his first collection that October. In the year since, his work has generated what observers call “Blazymania”—a surge in consumer enthusiasm that has lifted Chanel against headwinds affecting much of the luxury sector. The spring/summer 2027 collection demonstrates how Blazy has sustained that momentum by introducing novelty and contemporary sensibility while respecting the archive that defines the house.

Modernizing Chanel’s codes with color and play

Blazy’s design philosophy centers on preserving Chanel’s core identity while projecting it into a new era. He maintains the house’s iconic elements—tweed, camellias, pearls, and the double C logo—and reinterprets them through iridescent and metallic tones, introducing everyday accessories, denim, humor, and pop culture references that make the brand feel contemporary. One industry observer noted that “he has broken down the brand’s codes, projecting them into a new era.”

The spring/summer 2027 collection demonstrated this approach through bold color combinations that departed from Chanel’s traditionally restrained palette. Tiger-print tweeds in red and white stood alongside handbags in black, burgundy, and white, with some in zebra print layered with clashing primary colors. These choices signal a deliberate expansion of Chanel’s color vocabulary—a significant shift for a house historically defined by black, white, beige, and gold. Buyers have also had to navigate the demand created by Blazymania, with Galeries Lafayette buying director Alix Morabito noting there’s “a new balance to find between desirability, scarcity and generosity.”

One year in numbers
Matthieu Blazy showed his third ready-to-wear collection for Chanel on October 5, 2026, exactly a year after his debut, having also presented the Métiers d’Art 2026 and Cruise 2027 collections in between. The house reported a 16% revenue increase in the first half of 2026, with industry observers noting the phenomenon of “Blazymania”—frenzied buying of his designs that often cost thousands of dollars.

Blazy’s journey through Coco’s freedom

Blazy centered the collection on Coco Chanel’s own journey toward liberation, framing each piece as part of a layered narrative about how Chanel transcended social constraints. Giant illuminated origami cranes hung suspended above the Grand Palais runway—a visual metaphor for flight and freedom that dominated the venue. According to Blazy, “It’s a collection about Gabrielle Chanel’s layered stories. Ultimately, Chanel took off, and each step she took led to her being free, like a bird.”

Chanel previewed the collection’s avian theme through black-and-white art photographs by British photographer David Bailey, featuring motifs of feathers, nests, and birds’ feet. Blazy’s strategy of continuous novelty—offering new designs each season rather than seasonal repetitions of classics—keeps customers returning and distinguishes his work from his predecessor’s approach.

Fabrics and silhouettes for a new Chanel woman

Blazy reworked Chanel’s signature tweeds with contemporary techniques, loosening the fabric into a wide windowpane print with mesh panels, and reworking it into an eye-catching red-and-white tiger print.

Sheer skirt suits in cream or black featured floral and bead embroidery, marking a significant departure from Chanel’s customary opaque tailoring. Pleated mini-skirts paired with cropped jackets shifted proportions, while frayed and metallically-beaded hemlines introduced texture variation. Footwear included reinterpreted two-tone pumps in leopard and tiger print with cream-colored toes, along with chunky sandals bearing the interlocking C logo in gold.

Blazy’s path to Chanel included stints at Maison Margiela, Celine, and Calvin Klein, before he was named creative director of Bottega Veneta in 2021, where his work reinventing the Italian leather goods brand earned him the nickname “the magician of Milan.”

He has broken down the brand’s codes, projecting them into a new era.

Expanding Chanel’s reach and red-carpet dominance

Celebrity attendance at the October 5 show reflected Blazy’s ability to attract new customers while maintaining appeal to established Chanel customers. Front-row attendees included Nicole Kidman, Dua Lipa, Pedro Pascal, and John Malkovich—a mix that signals cross-generational reach. Blazy has cultivated relationships with established Chanel clients like Penélope Cruz and Margot Robbie while welcoming new ambassadors such as Ayo Edebiri, and his custom creations have generated significant fashion industry buzz.

Blazy has also expanded Chanel’s appeal to male audiences through ready-to-wear pieces like loafers and blazers, attracting ambassadors such as actor Pedro Pascal, though no official men’s line exists yet. He describes these pieces simply as “pieces that suit everyone.” His impact on red carpet events has been substantial, with celebrities choosing Blazy’s Chanel designs for major events including the Oscars, Met Gala, and Golden Globes. Beyond fashion, Chanel acquired the historic Parisian shirtmaker Charvet in July 2026, signaling Blazy’s influence on the house’s strategic direction and its investment in artisanal production.

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Photo: A. Balet · CC BY 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons