Chanel Métiers d'Art 2026 Show

By Seoyeon Claudia Kim ‘28

A runway emerges in the midst of the city. In the most quotidian of places, lies a compilation of the most exquisite brands conceivable. Celebrities adorned in couture step out of their vans only to descend into the most ordinary of places: the subway.  

Matthieu Blazy presents his second collection since being appointed Creative Director of Chanel. The show articulates the very tenor of what Blazy envisions: a bridge between fantasy and reality, high and contemporary fashion: designing a new paradigm for Chanel. 

The subway is an essential part of everyday life, accessible to everyone. In this space, time, and difference does not matter; everyone becomes equal. Some rush frantically, afraid of missing a train; others move more leisurely, taking a sip of coffee. The subway is a runway for everyone. Blazy executes this aspect of the subway and induces it into the Chanel Métiers d'Art 2026 Show in New York. 

The Student

The show opens as a model descends the stairs into the stations, her hair resting naturally, her presence serene. She wears a camel colored quarterback sweater and washed jeans — an outfit unduly plain for a high fashion model. Ironically, this look encapsulates what Blazy tries to envision through the show: merging the daily lives of New Yorkers with a soupçon of Chanel. 

The backstory of the casting makes the moment even more resonant. The model herself was a NYU student,  she was discovered in the subway by Blazy just a year ago. Her opening in this show becomes a full-circle moment: an ordinary commuter transformed into a fashion model, returning to the very aisles of the subway where she was first found. 

The Tourist

This look is a reinterpretation of the iconic I ♥ New York T-Shirt into a couture look. Embellished with spangles and sparkles, and paired with the brand’s signature tweed, it captures the city through the tourists’ lens: the bustling ambience of New York.  

The model presents this look with deliberate nonchalance. Her posture is relaxed but assertive, she walks quietly, yet with an attitude. She does not fawn upon the city; she moves through it.

New Yorker

Look 26 is what defines New York in its most pristine form; a brilliant combination of the past and present of New York. The feather shaped panels incorporated in the skirt recall the flappers’ fashion in the 1920s, while the animal print and teal tones relate toward 2026’s emerging trends. As a whole, the look feels like a live work of art– an eloquent peacock striding the nebulous boundaries of the past and future of New York.

The Past

Another look pays a more direct homage to flapper culture: a sequined, fringed dress of the Jazz Age. Yet, modernity dissolves within authenticity. The green boots and layered necklace compliments the outfit; it prevents the outfit from becoming a replica of the past. The dress’s pale tones, and the model’s restrained expression suggests a quaint loneliness.

Blazy’s collection stands as a heartfelt tribute to both the city and to the house itself. The collection carries meaning as a modern articulation of Gabrielle Chanel’s philosophy: the emphasis on real-life accountability, and effortless chicness. As Chanel famously said: Fashion changes, but style endures. Matthieu Blazy distills this principle into the contemporary moment, allowing Chanel’s heritage to evolve and to live within the ubiquitousness of the city.