Matthieu Blazy Takes Sunny Chanel Back To Its Roots With His Debut Cruise Collection

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The only way to behave in Biarritz is armed with the breezy, salt‑stung confidence of someone who understands that the most gloriously radical thing Gabrielle Chanel ever did was give women the opportunity to step outside - in more ways than one. Chanel under Matthieu Blazy has already been set to be liberating and leisurely, and he has continued to encapsulate that ideology and more - especially since the experience is being shared through time by the brand’s founder, who showed her own first collections here when she began in 1915. Over a century later, Matthieu Blazy returned to that same stretch of coast for his debut Cruise collection, staging the show on April 28 at the Casino Municipal, leaning into the history and setting the tone by handing out shell pendants as invitations. As usual, his take on accessories has swept socials with scarcely-soled sandals and a beach bag big enough to hold the umbrella. Blazy once again had fun with feathers, and with coastal paintings framed in the shape of various silhouettes. It wouldn’t be a beach outing without fish and chips, and now you can wrap yourself in newspaper too - just minus all the grease and the antagonistic sea birds. 

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The initial look anchoring the theme was a take on the “original” revenge dress, according to Blazy. With one sultry look at the camera after a stroll in the sand, the dress sported a geometric design and fin-like hair accessories. This reinterpretation of 1926’s little black dress appeared without its dramatic back bow, but fear not; Blazy nodded to that detail by transforming the bow into a clutch, giving the reference a delightfully modern - and slightly seasonal - twist. In keeping with the coastal theme, a dress was constructed in its entirety to resemble coral, along with a jacket that looked to have been rolled in a fishing net. As you'd expect, the latter came complete with embellished sea creatures and the odd feather for a lure.

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In this collection, the interlocking C’s dissolve into something more structural than just the iconic logo. They’re structurally sound, as it were; they’ve been ingenious incorporated into the garments as part of a symmetrical framework, echoing the visual language Gabrielle Chanel first threaded into her designs in the 1930s. It’s a genuine continuation of her personal narrative, and the consumers can now add their own personal twist. Elsewhere, those aforementioned accessories chart a sense of nautical movement. Bags ranged from compact travel pieces to that perfectly oversized carrier built for beach days and callbacks to Lagerfeld’s 2013, while others nodded diligently to the seaside with bold stripes and weatherproof finishes. Footwear moved just as fluidly, oscillating between the polish of Art Deco-inspired heels and near-bare constructions that felt finely attuned to the sand. Jewellery followed suit, balancing the geometric clarity of Biarritz’s architecture with softer, oceanic references: shell forms hugged the ear, and strands of pearls evoked the sealife again. 

Images via Chanel

It wouldn’t be Chanel without tweed, and it took on a lightweight appearance for this show - the fabric appeared over swimwear paired with swimming caps and oversized thigh-high wellington boots. It was also incorporated into styles much more suited for the day, and outerwear adorned with flowers also provided an almost tropical feel. The final looks were ingenious in showing total siren transformation.Shimmering gowns in electric coral and sea-blue hues clung to the body, their surfaces encrusted with light-catching embellishments that directly echo the texture of scales.

Images via Chanel