When you think of public transport, the word ‘fashion’ probably doesn’t spring to mind. Unless, that is, you’re Chanel’s creative director Matthieu Blazy.
The 41-year-old French-Belgian designer chose an abandoned New York subway station for his first Métiers d’art show – the house’s annual collection that bridges summer and autumn – last December. From the platform (yes, strictly behind the yellow line) Chanel darlings including Ayo Edebiri, Tessa Thompson and Jessie Buckley watched models time travel in flapper dresses, tartan sets and, whisper it, jeans.
The collection’s ethos? More is more. Think leather trouser suits with enormous red furry cuffs; glittered white tees stamped with ‘I ♥ New York’ and gowns with huge feathered leopard-print skirts (see left). Even the accessories were knowingly outrageous, from pearl-encrusted oyster- shell minaudières to logoed coffee-cup holders and enamel apple trinkets.
Since Karl Lagerfeld’s death in 2019, editors have grumbled about Chanel’s ‘stuffy’ and ‘old-fashioned’ offerings. Love or loathe Blazy’s maximalist creations, he won’t suffer the same criticism. New York magazine called the collection ‘superb’, Vogue said Blazy’s work was ‘magic’ and Harper’s Bazaar hailed the show a ‘modern triumph’. If you’re also a fan, head to Chanel’s Bond Street boutique when the collection drops in June. All pieces are POA, but given last season’s dresses were priced into the thousands, you might want to start saving now.
