There’s nothing quite like a metro station to remind you that fashion, like life, is always in motion. People rush in, rush out, everyone moving toward somewhere, someone, or something. And then Chanel arrives… and suddenly your ordinary commute feels like a first-class ticket to couture.
There’s nothing quite like stepping into a New York City subway, the hum of the trains, the rush of people, the endless motion, to make you feel alive. Now imagine Chanel landing right in the middle of it all. That’s exactly what Matthieu Blazy did for his first Métiers d’Art show: he took the brand’s couture universe and staged it in the most New York of places. The subway! How cool is that? Fashion, art, and the city collide in a way that makes haute couture feel immediate, real, and thrillingly accessible.
LOCATION: HAUTE COUTURE MEETS THE CITY
The subway is the great equalizer, all human life passes through here. By bringing Métiers d’Art to this everyday stage, Chanel made high fashion feel close to everyone, at any point of the day. It’s an extraordinary choice: the location turns the ordinary into something spectacular, making you feel like you could literally bump into Coco Chanel herself while waiting for your train. It’s playful, democratic, and yet completely Chanel: cool, confident, and impossible to ignore.
THE COLLECTION: CINEMATIC, PLAYFUL, AND CRAFTED TO PERFECTION
Blazy’s collection is cinematic in scope. It’s a parade of personalities: city girls on the move, downtown rebels, uptown icons, all told through the meticulous handiwork of Chanel’s 11 Maisons d’Art. From lace and embroidery to feathers, buttons, and shoes, the craftsmanship is exceptional, playful, and modern. Highlights include lingerie-inspired denim, bias-cut slips shimmering with Art Deco motifs, and wool boucle tweed with unexpected touches of street style. Each piece feels like a small story, a secret wink, a tiny thrill. And yes, while it’s brilliant, I found myself wishing to see even more, more daring, more spectacle, the kind of over-the-top ambition that Métiers d’Art used to be known for.
HISTORY & CONTEXT: WHERE MÉTIERS D’ART USED TO PLAY
Métiers d’Art shows have always been playgrounds for imagination. Karl Lagerfeld famously transported audiences from Paris to Rome to Shanghai, creating extravaganzas where embroidery, feathers, and goldwork reached cinematic heights. Chanel 2026 takes a different route: direct, modern, and confident. It’s stripped down yet still magical, a showcase of craftsmanship and creativity without theatrics. It’s the new Chanel, contemporary, urban, and instantly relatable.
THE NEW CHANEL: STRAIGHT TO THE POINT, AND BRILLIANT
This show proves that Chanel doesn’t need a palace or runway to impress. The subway becomes a stage, the commuters become the audience, and the city itself feels a little more magical. It’s haute couture in motion, accessible yet aspirational, playful yet precise. Perhaps this is the New Chanel: a house that celebrates craft and imagination while keeping one foot firmly in the real world, a reminder that fashion, like the subway, is for everyone willing to take the ride.
