Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel show celebrates and plays with brand’s history

A building site, but made chic: cranes in Meccano-bright colours towered over the catwalk at Chanel, their reflection shimmering on an opalescent floor Matthieu Blazy said was inspired by Monet. Monet has been a backstage buzzword at Dior and Chanel this week as the two houses vie for cultural bragging rights.

Blazy, who arrived at Chanel last year, is rebuilding the house and enjoying the work. The invitation was a tiny stainless steel tape measure on a pendant, and after the show he greeted reporters clutching a folded printout of Coco Chanel’s 1955 Le Figaro interview — which Bruno Pavlovsky said he had never come across before Blazy brought it to him.

Boutiques were packed all week: a cotton shirt embroidered with the Chanel name sold out at €3,900, and new-season bags were limited to one per customer to curb resale.

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