Matthieu Blazy Stages a Triumphant Spectacle for Chanel: Coco Chanel, Tweed and a Touch of Attitude

A year ago, Matthieu Blazy made his debut on the Chanel runway, opening a new chapter in the history of the legendary fashion house. Now, 12 months later, he returned to the Grand Palais as a true triumphalist, presenting his Spring/Summer 2027 collection — both a love letter to Coco Chanel and a confident statement about the future.

Under the glass roof of the Grand Palais, 95 birds hovered above the guests, while some of the star attendees could be seen wearing looks from Blazy’s previous collections. In the collection itself, the designer brought together the key codes of his first year at Chanel while introducing new ones.

Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel once again served as his main muse. Blazy’s mood board featured photographs of the legendary designer, telling the story of a woman who went from the strict silhouettes of Edwardian fashion to borrowing the men’s jackets of her lovers, before creating her own tweed suit that would go on to become one of the defining symbols of the 20th century.

“We tried to broaden the idea of the Chanel woman — not one woman, but many women who can belong to this world,” Blazy said, according to WWD.

This time, Blazy opted for more seductive silhouettes. Sheer knitwear hugged the figure, a pearl corset was paired with black menswear-inspired trousers, while Chanel’s signature cropped jackets appeared alongside corset details, patchwork textures and graphic prints.

There was also plenty of pure glamour: dresses covered in cloud-like prints, shimmering looks evoking a starry night sky, and voluminous tutus reminiscent of ballerinas’ costumes.

A special place in the collection was reserved for a new Chanel suit made from a stretch fabric that looks like classic tweed but feels more like sportswear.

“I like the idea of the future of Chanel. All fashion houses are obsessed with the future and sportswear. We’re all looking at Nike,” Blazy said.

The show opened and closed on a symbolic note, with model Dyanira Hurbusher walking the runway carrying an original Chanel 2.55 bag from the house archives — the very model that once belonged to Coco Chanel herself.

Nicole Kidman’s voice added another layer to the atmosphere as the Chanel ambassador read excerpts from the works of Virginia Woolf. The set evoked a village in southern Italy, where Blazy spends his vacations, while the flock of birds soaring above the runway served as a reference to freedom.

Britney Spears’ “Gimme More” provided the show’s grand finale.

Blazy clearly seemed more confident this time around — and, judging by the collection, so did Chanel. “It’s a good start,” he said with a smile.