Inside the Grand Palais in Paris, Chanel’s couture show featured a vivid setting, transformed into a garden with oversized beanstalks and dazzling flowers. Among the attendees were Tilda Swinton, Michelle Yeoh, and Catherine Deneuve, highlighting the brand’s ability to draw a notable crowd. The display seemed enchanted yet unsettling, aligning with designer Matthieu Blazy’s vision.
Blazy, inspired by a leather-bound book of fairy tales from Gabrielle Chanel’s apartment, channeled this theme. Blazy, new to Chanel having come from Bottega Veneta, follows in the footsteps of Karl Lagerfeld and Virginie Viard. With this being his second couture collection, he has already infused a sense of lightness into the house.
“I started to wonder, was Gabrielle Chanel’s life a fairy tale?” Blazy said.
Blazy compared Chanel’s rise from an orphanage to fashion dominance to ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’. This theme influenced the collection, which included a sheer Chanel suit with embroidery resembling bean shoots. Dresses featured creeping vines, shoes curled with floral designs, and bags mimicked sleeping bears and chickens. Goldilocks and Puss in Boots were subtly referenced, with surprises like painted linings and silk-list stitchings inside jackets.
Blazy remarked, “Haute Couture at Chanel is not just a fairy tale; it’s about women, their realities and adventures of everyday life.” This philosophy drove the collection towards practicality. The garments stripped of excessive embellishment, like a sharp coat or a sequined dress, represented timeless Chanel elegance without being overstated.
The show featured women of varying ages, reinforcing the timeless appeal of Chanel. The finale presented a simple black off-the-shoulder dress, a nod to the fact Chanel herself never wed.
The audience included Swinton, Pedro Pascal, Yeoh, Lupita Nyong’o, and Vanessa Paradis among others, all captivated by the display. Blazy left them with more than spectacle, urging them to reflect on their lives.