Random #2JourNotes on Chanel Cruise 2027 Show
- Maryna Borysenko
- 8 hours ago
- 2 min read
Yesterday in Biarritz, the fifth Chanel show under the creative direction of Matthieu Blazy took place.
His vision is starting to crystallise with reinterpreted elements from previous shows: full skirts, raffia, upholstery-like stripes, variations on a denim (-like) sets.
The collection is not sharply edited — it moves across multiple ideas; 79 looks are hard to reduce even to three directions.
It is also heavily styled — literally. Where attention should stay on the garment, there is always something added: a belt, two jackets, one bag — or two. It also leans on logo — the brand's strongest asset — at times sophisticated, at times direct, bordering on tacky.
The offer is clearly playing with a new audience — large logos, bags, signature suits but in denim (smart!) — with an implied lower price point.
The core high-spending audience is still addressed — through classic tweed in form and execution, and through older models on the runway. A controlled attempt to demonstrate versatility to a conservative client.
Each show also carries a set of PR tasks.
Something sugary sweet — this time pink baby booties on a bag by A$AP Rocky and a pregnant model with the same element. She was invited just days before — the point is not the booties, but emotion. Previous hooks: Anwar’s final walk, the viral reaction of Bhavitha Mandava’s parents, the invitation of French astronaut Claudie Haigneré. The more emotional triggers, the better.
Something closer to fashion clickbait — provocative, confusing, generating reaction. Here: heel protectors (?), previously — belts distorting proportions on an extremely dropped waist. Presented as vision, but effectively a calculated move to drive discussion.
On paper, it performs. Lyst places two models in the current quarter’s top, the brand leads in attention. I remain sceptical — of both the list (and its methodology) and of trend forecasting in general.
The same applies to this approach: the risks outweigh short-term gains. Chanel is entering a cycle of constant stimulation — not through product, but through reaction. We have seen this with Balenciaga and Gucci.
In targeting fashionistas and aspirational clients, the brand offers less to its loyal base. The shift is likely already visible in reports.
The offer is losing form and precision. Repeated attempts at gender-neutral pieces simplify pattern and fit — a mass-market logic, not acceptable for Chanel's price tag. Boxy shapes, especially in volume, require refinement. It is unrealistic to assume that in the era of Ozempic clients want to appear 10 kg heavier and 15 cm wider.
Styling — aka throwing everything onto the runway to “see what sticks” — may appear safe, but it erodes identity. In time, the show risks being remembered only for its location — Biarritz — because the content resists clear definition.
The collection is not weak. There are strong pieces — visible if you break down the looks into single elements. But it is about everything and nothing — and that is the core risk in luxury, which artificial emotion and broad offering do not compensate.
