Chanel’s fairy tale couture: blazy weaves fairytales into haute couture
Matthieu Blazy’s fall/winter 2026 haute couture collection for Chanel wasn’t simply a display of exquisite craftsmanship; it was a deliberate plunge into the realms of childhood stories, a playful exploration of the enigmatic Gabrielle Chanel herself.
A journey into chanel’s imagination
The collection, presented in a surreal, overgrown garden at the Grand Palais, immediately established a narrative. Models, draped in gauzy interpretations of Chanel suits, carried copies of Les Fées, Contes des Contes – a volume pulled directly from Chanel’s personal library – setting the stage for a fantastical journey. The set, masterfully crafted by Martin Brûlé, featured towering flowers, winding vines, and suspended chairs, evoking a potent sense of enchantment. It was, in essence, a meticulously constructed fairy tale.
Blazy confessed to being captivated by the possibility of Chanel’s life mirroring a fairytale. “I started to wonder, was Gabrielle Chanel’s life a fairy tale?” he noted in the show’s notes. “I found a small book in her library, Les Fées, Contes des Contes, and asked myself if, together with the Haute Couture ateliers, we could make garments that tell stories like a book.”
The details were astonishing. Oversized vases overflowed with vibrant orange, red, yellow, and blue blooms, mirroring the spiky hues adorning the couture pieces themselves. Smaller versions of these fantastical flowers nestled amongst the classic camellias. Guests – including Jennifer Lopez, Sarah Pidgeon, Teyana Taylor, and Pedro Pascal – occupied mismatched gilded chairs, some of which were inexplicably tangled within the vines and flowers, lifted skyward as if by a mischievous spirit. The space, painted by Joel Blanc, resembled a twilight sky, complete with fluffy white clouds.
But Blazy insisted this wasn't merely a decorative exercise. “Haute Couture at Chanel is not just a fairy tale; in essence it is for women, their realities and their adventures of the everyday.” He aimed to capture the spirit of a woman’s journey, a subtle rebellion against the predictable, a celebration of individual experience. It’s a proposition that demands attention – and, frankly, a willingness to believe in a little magic.