Can luxury craftsmanship truly be democratized? What does Chanel’s pivot to “accessibility” really mean? What defines a luxury brand’s unique selling proposition beyond traditional craftsmanship? These are just some of the questions posed by Undergraduate in Fashion Business student, Arina Kuzmich, exploring the exciting new Chanel universe being built by its new creative director.
Have you ever been late to class in a pencil skirt? I have, and I can assure you: its constraining silhouette will turn your 5 minute delay into 20, all the while looking fabulous. Thank God, Florence doesn’t have a subway, so I at least bypassed the struggle of running up and down the stairs.
However, for a Chanel woman, a big city underground doesn’t seem to be a problem at all. She could have taken a cab, but in New York, where the runway show took place on 2 December, she preferred to descend into the subway network for the house’s first show in New York since Karl Lagerfeld’s Métiers d’art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2018.
Taking place at the disused Bowery subway station on the Lower East Side, Matthieu Blazy’s first Métiers d’art collection was therefore slightly more inclusive. Blazy mentioned to WWD¹ that part of the inspiration for the show sparks from “the subway being a place where every sector of society interacts, with no hierarchy, and here, with loads of glam.” Sounds weird, no? The democratization of Chanel is something we didn’t know we needed but it’s clearly the path the new creative director is taking. “Everyone is invited,” said Blazy, which is sweet, welcoming… and of course very good for business.
The first hint of this shift was perceptible back in October, for Blazy’s debut at the house. Funny enough, the first sign of Chanel’s new approach came from one of the tracks chosen for the runway, Rhythm Is a Dancer by Snap!. Several attendees mentioned that when the song started, everyone began singing along, sharing the moment together. Plus, the solar system set at Grand Palais in Paris made the statement clear, Chanel wants to be more universal. Perhaps because of this direct and bright message, together with the long-anticipated creative director appointment, the show was named the second most engaging fashion debut of SS26 by NSS and Lefty³. There was no heaviness to this show, just pure celebration, and a projection of the house’s widening horizons.
The Grand Palais was a no brainer considering that since 2007 it’s been a home for Chanel, but why show Métiers d’art in New York now? Despite all the drama about tariffs, the US remains one of the biggest markets for luxury brands¹ ². Bruno Pavlovsky, Chanel’s president of fashion, told WWD that in the US, “ready-to-wear is flying,” and naturally, Chanel wants to fly with it. Meanwhile, the European market takes a back seat, as there is little to no willingness to buy into a luxury that has reached its price ceiling with unjustified mark-ups.
Globally bags, like ready-to-wear, remain a category that suffers little, seen via A$AP Rocky, Chanel’s new ambassador, flaunting a new unisex model alongside partner Rihanna on the Gotham Awards’ red carpet⁴. A timely choice of ambassador, almost immediately after he was named a Fashion Icon at the CFDA Awards, which is another sign of a new mindset by Chanel: we like what our consumers like.
The stunning cinematography of the short film released prior, with Margaret Qualley and A$AP Rocky and directed by Michel Gondry, prepared us for the full fashion show, which begins with a woman entering the subway at night, trying to get home, but accidentally turning into a model who ends up opening the show. Love! Her casual look made the transformation from mundane daily task to runway feel natural. Curiously this model, Bhavitha Mandava, who made history as the first Indian model to open a Chanel runway, was discovered in the subway, travelling to her classes at NYU, by a model scout.
The casual opener gave way to the other looks that were decidedly more artisanal, reflecting the house’s intelligent approach to craftsmanship and paying homage to the origins of Métiers d’art, which every year since 2002 have celebrated the exceptional French savoir-faire at the heart of the house. Chanel positions itself as unique in its communications, yet often falls back on familiar luxury narratives, reels of elderly artisans in workshops, accompanied by words like “craftsmanship,” “handmade,” and “high quality.” While these qualities are essential, they shouldn’t be the unique selling proposition itself. In today’s luxury market, artisanal craft should be a given; a brand’s USP must be built on top of these fundamentals. Blazy’s placing of the 2026 Métiers d’art within the subway is a new and fresh take on the communications strategy of the house’s artisanship initiative that could suggest they are beginning to move in this direction. Although it does beg the question, can the luxury savoir-faire of Chanel really be for everyone?
Blazy’s collection seems directed toward the experience of wearing the clothes as much as their visual appeal. It is especially relevant now, when there is a huge disposition for prioritizing the feel of garments rather than exclusively how they look. Together with that, he has always been a fan of (forgive me) craftsmanship, and with the in-depth expertise of Chanel’s own manufacturers, such as Lemarié’s feather making or Maison Lesage’s embroidery, I believe he will push even further into the techniques that first tier luxury is defined by, (next collection be prepared for countless tweed reimaginations).
At Bowery station, we have seen Blazy play with time, either by paying homage directly to Gabrielle Chanel’s first New York visit in 1931 via 20s and 30s Art Deco dresses, moving through to 80s style winter knits, and the contemporary sophistication of a casual shirt. The whole felt like an adulation to Chanel’s entire history, as if Blazy was trying to grasp all the eras at once. Does it mean that Chanel’s intention is to go back in time? With the travelling time machine of a hurtling subway carriage itself as the main metaphor, I don’t think so. After witnessing this collection that required hundreds, if not thousands of hours of handwork, it kind of became obvious to me: a Chanel woman is not afraid of being late. And honestly, if my pencil skirt was as intricate as hers, I probably wouldn’t be afraid either.
CREDITS
Written by:
Cover image:
- Mentor: Serge Girardi
- Styling: Dulaj Wegapitiya
- Designer: Eleonora Federico
- Model: Yulia
- Photo by Alessandro Burzigotti
- Photographers assistants: Caterina Stolzi, Tauras Žemaitis
- Producer: Josefa Aste Gotelli
SOURCES
1. Mercer, E. (2025). Chanel Métiers d’Art 2025 Ready-to-Wear Runway, Fashion Show & Collection Review. [online] WWD. [Accessed 16 Dec. 2025]
2. Industryresearch.biz. (2025). Luxury Fashion Market Size & Share [2034]. [online] [Accessed 16 Dec. 2025].
3. Instagram, (2025). nssmagazine on Instagram: ‘🇬🇧/🇮🇹 Debuts is the letter D of our Alphabet of Fashion 2025. The fashion world has gone through a year of constant change: the game of musical chairs among creative directors never stopped, and as a result, there was no shortage of debuts. From Jonathan Anderson at Dior to Louise Trotter at Bottega Veneta, all the way to Matthieu Blazy at Chanel. Which one was your favorite? Tell us in the comments. – Debuts è la lettera D del nostro Alphabet of Fashion 2025. Il mondo della moda ha vissuto un anno di continui cambiamenti, il gioco delle sedie tra i direttori creativi non si è mai fermato e i debutti, di conseguenza, non sono mancati. Da Jonathan Anderson da Dior a Louise Trotter da Bottega Veneta, fino a Chanel di Matthieu Blazy. Qual è stato il vostro preferito? Ditecelo nei commenti.’ [online] [Accessed 16 Dec. 2025].
4. Instagram. (2025). HOUSE OF STREETWEAR® on Instagram: ‘A$AP Rocky at the 35th Gotham Film Awards in New York City. #gothamawards #asaprockt #rihanna #badgirlriri #fashion’. [online] [Accessed 16 Dec. 2025].
