Matthieu Blazy to present debut Cruise collection for the house in a historic coastal setting
Chanel will stage its Cruise 2026/27 show in Biarritz on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. The presentation will mark Matthieu Blazy’s debut Cruise collection for the house and will take place in a location deeply intertwined with the brand’s early history.
The choice of Biarritz is more than symbolic. The storied Basque coastal town was where Gabrielle Chanel opened her first couture house in 1915, following the success of her Deauville boutique. Her Biarritz atelier—set in the Villa de Larralde—served as both a creative laboratory and a turning point for the house’s expansion. The town’s liberated, athletic spirit shaped Chanel’s approach to modern dress, embedding ease, movement, and coastal sophistication into the DNA of the house.
The upcoming show also marks a notable shift under Chanel Fashion President Bruno Pavlovsky, as Matthieu Blazy—appointed to succeed Virginie Viard—begins to define his vision across multiple categories. Selecting Biarritz as the stage for his Cruise debut signals a return to foundational codes, while setting the tone for how Blazy may reinterpret Chanel’s mythology through a contemporary lens.
The runway event is expected to attract international press, top clients, and industry insiders, as Cruise season increasingly becomes a strategic moment for maisons to reinforce heritage while pushing global appeal. For Chanel, Biarritz offers both.