Blazy takes a flight of fancy with bird-inspired Chanel couture

New creative chief draws on nature and avian elegance for his debut at Paris

PARIS:

After reaching for the stars in his first show for Chanel, new chief designer Matthieu Blazy took a feathery flight of fancy this week, unveiling a debut Haute Couture collection inspired by birds and the natural world.

The vast Grand Palais exhibition space in central Paris was transformed into an enchanted, psychedelic forest, populated by giant mushrooms and pink weeping willows.

Blazy, 41, said he intended to "probe and explore the heart of Chanel" with his Haute Couture creations, following his highly acclaimed first women's ready-to-wear collection shown in the same venue in October.

That earlier show was staged against giant glowing planets that signalled his ambitions, while Tuesday's looks were firmly rooted in earthly beauty, particularly the elegance and diversity of bird life.

With stars ranging from Nicole Kidman to Dua Lipa watching from the front row, the opening outfits made abundant use of sheer silk muslin alongside classic Chanel tweeds, before giving way to more whimsical, avian-inspired designs.

"The idea of the feather runs through the collection, though seldom in its natural form. All kinds of birds appear, as if by magic, from the most familiar to the rarest," Blazy wrote in his show notes.

The Franco-Belgian couturier referenced the extravagant plumage of the roseate spoonbill and the crested cockatoo, alongside humbler birds such as the crow, grey pigeon, and magpie.

Even for Haute Couture dresses, typically reserved for gala evenings or red-carpet appearances, Blazy told the WWD website that he had sought to strip back excess and focus on the "essence of the house, which is clothes that women actually wear".

Creative overhaul

Blazy's debut was among the most hotly anticipated moments of Paris Haute Couture Week, alongside the first outing by new Dior designer Jonathan Anderson on Monday. Anderson, a 41-year-old Northern Irish designer, also paid tribute to nature, albeit through highly floral silhouettes that were both sculptural and airy.

The two contemporaries are emblematic of a sweeping overhaul of creative director roles across the European luxury fashion sector over the past 12 months. Seen as part of a new generation of talent, both face the daunting task of modernising some of the most venerable and profitable names in fashion.

Blazy was poached from Italian leather goods house Bottega Veneta in December 2024 and handed the responsibility of turning the page on the era of Karl Lagerfeld, who reigned at Chanel for more than three decades.

"Chanel was everything that couture is supposed to be. It was experimentation, it was putting a spotlight on artisans, the textiles were unbelievable. It has a soul and meaning," Paris-based fashion commentator Diane Pernet told AFP. "If I'm comparing it to Dior, I don't feel the same at all."

Anderson's debut has drawn more mixed appraisals, with some critics suggesting that the risk-taking designer is still searching for a clear identity after completing a full set of women's wear, menswear, and Haute Couture collections.

Debuts

Elsewhere in Paris this week, Armani unveiled its first Haute Couture collection without the oversight of founder Giorgio Armani, who died in early September at the age of 91. The collection was overseen by his niece Silvana, who had long worked alongside him on women's ready-to-wear lines.

Described as "classic Armani with a touch of originality", the debut wardrobe featured fluid satin trouser suits, shimmering evening gowns, and blouses re-embroidered with pearls.

Another historic debut is set to take place when Phan Huy becomes the youngest designer ever invited to Paris Haute Couture Week, aged just 27, and the first Vietnamese couturier to join the programme.

Only 13 fashion houses hold the official "Haute Couture" accreditation, a legally protected designation in France, although the FHCM fashion federation invites selected guest designers to participate.

The twice-yearly event remains a magnet for celebrities, with actor Jennifer Lawrence, singer Rihanna, and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez spotted at the Dior show earlier this week.