For his second Haute Couture collection at Chanel, Matthieu Blazy invites us into a world where fantasy meets craftsmanship and storytelling becomes part of the garment itself. Inspired by Gabrielle ”Coco” Chanel’s life and the fairy tales that once lined her personal library, the Fall/Winter 2026 collection explores the intimate relationship between fashion, imagination, and the women who wear it.

The collection began with a simple question: Was Gabrielle Chanel’s life a fairytale? While browsing the designer’s library, Blazy discovered Les Fées, Contes des Contes, a book that sparked the creative vision for a collection where every look unfolds like a story.

References to classic tales such as Jack and the Beanstalk and Goldilocks and the Three Bears are woven throughout the collection—not as literal costume, but through exquisite couture details. A vine climbs the heel of a shoe, a minaudière is transformed into a sleeping bear, and buttons evolve from ducklings into elegant swans.

Opening the show was a reimagined Chanel suit crafted in guipure lace, its intricate pattern evoking magical beanstalks layered with airy silk mousseline. Throughout the collection, Chanel’s legendary ateliers showcase their exceptional savoir-faire, bringing together embroidery, pleating, millinery, goldsmithing, shoemaking, and the House’s signature tailoring in a celebration of Haute Couture at its finest.

Blazy also turns attention to the hidden beauty within each garment. Painted silk linings, handwritten notes, charms, and keepsakes are discreetly tucked into pockets and stitched beneath the surface, creating deeply personal pieces designed not only to be admired but truly lived in.

The runway itself echoed this dreamlike narrative, transformed into an enchanted salon overgrown with twisting vines and poisonous flowers. Yet despite its fairytale setting, the collection remains grounded in reality. Precision tailoring, fluid construction, and purposeful imperfections reflect Blazy’s vision of Haute Couture as clothing that moves with women rather than simply dressing them.

With Fall/Winter 2026, Matthieu Blazy offers a thoughtful new interpretation of Chanel’s enduring legacy—one where exceptional craftsmanship, imagination, and everyday life exist in perfect harmony. It’s a collection that reminds us that the true magic of Haute Couture lies not in fantasy alone, but in the stories women create while wearing it.