Chanel Métiers d’Art 2026 show was staged in New York this year, and while the headlines keep screaming “Matthieu Blazy’s debut,” this was his first Métiers d’Art, not his first Chanel collection. Blazy already introduced himself at the house,  this was simply the moment he got to show what he could do with the full force of Chanel’s artisanal workshops behind him.

And it showed.

The collection balanced heritage with actual modernity. Yes, there were the now-circulating animal-print tweeds leopard and zebra, but they didn’t dominate the runway. They simply acted as proof that Blazy understands how to stretch a house code without snapping it.

The real shift came through the leather. Sculpted trenches, polished jackets, pieces that felt architectural but wearable, the kind of clothes that make sense on the streets of New York, not just inside a fashion vault.

Styling, handled by Amanda Harlech, grounded everything. Nothing felt overworked. Tailoring was sharp, boots were strong, and the overall mood was “Chanel woman who actually leaves the house.” It’s the difference between designing clothes and designing a wardrobe.

There was one flapper-coded look, a subtle nod to Gabrielle Chanel, fringe, movement, a whiff of the past but it stayed firmly in 2025. Not nostalgia. Not costume. Just a reminder of the lineage, delivered lightly.

For the Chanel Métiers d’Art 2026 debut, Blazy kept the message focused: this is Chanel with craft at the forefront, but with a city-born attitude. Not a reinvention, a recalibration. And a very good one.

Text by: Wika Soto-Hay