For his second collection at the helm of Chanel, Matthieu Blazy continues to redefine the house’s universe. If his first showcase in Paris this October signposted his intentions, the Métiers d’Art 2026 collection confirms that Blazy is building a new Chanel world, grounded in heritage yet decisively contemporary. A world that understands how today’s woman lives, moves and dreams.

Showcased on December 2 on the New York City subway, the Métiers d’Art 2026 collection unfolded in a space symbolic beyond its steel and tiled walls. “The New York subway belongs to all,” Blazy says. “A democratic artery where students sit beside statesmen, teenagers brush past world-shapers, and every journey holds the potential for encounter.” In choosing this setting, Blazy positions Chanel in the pulse of the everyday. And yet, while the backdrop is grounded, the clothes remain exquisitely elevated. It is this balance that makes this collection so covetable.

This is the paradox Blazy is mastering. By placing Chanel in the most ordinary of urban environments, he makes it feel more relatable than ever. But it is not accessible in any literal sense. Instead, it teases. It flirts with the daily realities of the modern woman while remaining aspirational, exquisite, and just beyond reach. Once again, reinforcing the brand’s exclusivity and elevated appeal. 

The collection was showcased by characters: working women and socialites, mothers on the go and nocturnal creatures, inspired by Coco Chanel herself and her own experience in the city that never sleeps. Blazy’s Chanel woman is no longer singular. She is shifting, contradictory, just like the city he has chosen to frame her in. A spectrum of decades is evident in the looks. The 1920s converse with the 2020s. Art Deco extravagance is reimagined through a contemporary lens of denim, sheer tailoring, illusion trousers and lounge silhouettes. This non-linear approach underscores Blazy’s deep respect for the archive, translating Chanel’s past into something modern, rather than repeating it. 

Of course, this collection is a celebration of the Maisons d’art of le19M, whose craftsmanship becomes the emotional backbone of the collection. Here, Blazy’s vision of luxury is not about excess but about the details and skills that go into the creation process. Fringed featherwork by Lemarié transforms an embroidered Art Deco dress into a rebellious flapper fantasy worn with chinos. Lesage weaves lumberjack flannel into sumptuous bouclé tweed weighted with Chanel’s signature chain. Lingerie denim, crystal cabochons, enamelled trinkets, and hidden pearls inside minaudières all speak to Blazy’s belief that luxury today should surprise, delight and reward close looking.

Even the animal motifs, from leopard tweeds to feline fascinators and shimmering fish embroideries, blur the line between domestic and mythical, echoing the spirit of the “urban jungle.” These creatures are symbols of instinct, duality, and quiet power, qualities that increasingly define Blazy’s Chanel woman. Footwear anchors the collection in reality: classic Massaro slingbacks in delicate kidskin sit beside shaved shearling animal prints. Here again, Blazy bridges Coco Chanel’s original codes with a contemporary twist. 

The collection’s New York narrative is rooted in history. Gabrielle Chanel’s 1931 journey through the city and her rediscovery of how women had democratised her style in their downtown lives becomes a powerful metaphor. It was here that she witnessed her designs take on new meanings in the hands of real women. Blazy seems to extend that story into the present. His Chanel is not frozen in Parisian perfection. It moves. It adapts. It rides the subway!

With this second collection, Blazy is shaping the brand’s future language. By placing extraordinary craftsmanship in ordinary settings, he reminds us that modern luxury is not about retreating from reality but about transforming it.