Stars like Blackpink’s Jennie shine, clothes dazzle in Chanel’s butterfly-inspired Paris show

PARIS – Towering cranes in primary colours inside the Grand Palais are probably not what one might expect heading into a Chanel fashion show.

At the French brand’s Fall-Winter 2026 show on the evening of March 9 as part of Paris Fashion Week, these symbols of construction conveyed a message to those in attendance: Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel is still a work in progress.

The 41-year-old star designer’s name has been on everyone’s lips since he was appointed creative director at Chanel in end-2024. This is now his fourth outing for the luxury house, following internet-approved debuts for the 2026 Spring-Summer, Metiers d’Art and Haute Couture presentations.

In the week leading up to this show, the maison’s iconic 31 Rue Cambon location was flooded with hopefuls trying to score a Matthieu Blazy piece following his Spring-Summer drop in boutiques.

That same buzz followed him to the Grand Palais, the historic glass hall that has been Chanel’s fashion playground since 2005.

Stars and Chanel ambassadors showed up radiant in Blazy creations. A-listers in the front row included K-pop star Jennie of girl group Blackpink, actress Margot Robbie, Olympic freeskier Eileen Gu, host Oprah Winfrey and singer Kylie Minogue.

A caterpillar takes flight

The runway told a tale of metamorphosis.

Designers across time have plundered Chanel’s 116-year history for creative inspiration and stories of its founder Gabrielle Chanel, and yet Blazy managed to unearth one more unused quote as his starting point.

“Fashion is both caterpillar and butterfly. Be a caterpillar by day and a butterfly by night. There is nothing more comfortable than a caterpillar and nothing more made for love than a butterfly. We need dresses that crawl and dresses that fly. The butterfly doesn’t go to the market, and the caterpillar doesn’t go to the ball.”

And so kicking things off were the comfiest of caterpillar outfits – full-zip jackets, suit sets like armour and cocoon-like silhouettes to conceal the transformation bubbling beneath.

Then came the burst of colour: a shock of orange tinfoil tweed, embellished flapper dresses, and a melange of intricate fabrics woven with artificial fibres, lurex and silicone alongside natural gauze that emphasised the layers (or shedding of).

Indeed, the show was an exercise in layering – featuring popped-collar blousons and relaxed overshirts that, viewed close up, made the heavy tweeds less austere. In one tweed set inspired by artist Jackson Pollock’s spontaneous drip technique, a gauzy linen shirt nestled under the tweed jacket imparted a light, textural balance.

Consistency is every newcomer’s biggest hurdle, and Blazy proved his previous steps were not a fluke. With care but not caution, he wove in callbacks to his previous shows – a Wonder Woman boot here, figure-skimming silhouette there – as a red thread of continuity for all his collections thus far.

Also consistent was his breadth in looks that catered to a range of ages and lifestyles. There was something for the working girl, the partygoer, the racquet head and, more importantly, the Chanel purist.

There were also respectful nods to Gabrielle Chanel’s legacy, with his own fresh twist – most prominently the paradox of masculine meets feminine, in pairing men’s blazers with schoolgirl skirts. Throughout her career, Gabrielle Chanel famously borrowed from menswear.

With the foundation laid, Blazy could then go wild. His tribute to the butterfly arrived in an explosion of colour and textures that emphasised movement and freedom. Swishy skirts and animalistic prints brought to mind the abstract patterns of butterfly wings.

Most daring of all were the dangerously low dropped waists; his proposal for a new hemline sent murmurs through the crowd. Accenting many of the exaggerated drop-waist skirts were low belts (think just above your knees) to reinforce the 1920s silhouette.

Whether the provocative style will sell well in stores come September is a separate story.

Sparkling next chapter

Saving the best for last, the designer’s epilogue in this story of metamorphosis was its own attraction.

Lest you disregard a caterpillar after its makeover into a butterfly, Blazy reminds you to remember the chrysalis – that opalescent, jewel-like casing that protects the caterpillar as it begins its transformation.

Popular symbolisms of the chrysalis include growth, resilience and an in-between space of releasing one’s old identity and becoming. That meaning was unlikely to be a coincidence.

The final set of looks was a blur of iridescence, each one a technical marvel in construction – realised in shimmering chainmail jackets that were light as air, frothy floral embellishments and translucent gossamer fabrics that teased skin without being vulgar. Looking at the level of detail, Blazy must have set Chanel’s army of artisans to work.

Not forgetting the accessories, there were minaudieres in the shape of pomegranates and coffee beans, which also appeared as buttons on jackets; a literal double-flap bag; and plenty of crocodile embossing.

A rousing finale, set to a surprising but welcome remix of Lady Gaga’s 2008 anthem Just Dance, sent the models off into the night.

The chronically online will know the world has been longing for more whimsy. So far, Chanel’s main man looks set to deliver.

In what is becoming a tradition for Blazy, attendees of the show received with their invitations a small silver pendant as a hint to the show’s theme or set-up. This Fall-Winter iteration bore a tiny retractable ruler, as a nod to the construction theme yet to unfold.

Perhaps it was his way of asking for grace in this new chapter of Chanel, as he continues to find his footing. But judging by the looks put out that Monday night, he has little to worry about.