The Chanel fashion house has stood at the pinnacle of Parisian fashion for a century and is now entering another turning point. The 2025/26 Fall/Winter fashion show was like a poetic farewell and welcome. Before the new creative director Matthieu Blazy was about to take over the design power, the brand's internal design team once again performed a heartfelt confession of classic heritage at the Grand Palais in Paris. It is neither completely innovative nor completely conservative, but rather presents a kind of ambiguous romance at the juncture of the past and the future.
Classic Reappearance
The show was held under the glass dome of the Grand Palais in Paris, which is familiar to Chanel. This palace, which has witnessed countless historical moments, was once again transformed into a surreal theater. Art director Willo Perron created a giant black ribbon that spirals upward, complex yet pure, stretching endlessly throughout the space, foreshadowing that this series will explore the subtle dialogue between proportion, illusion and classic symbols.
Chanel's classic elements such as bows, ribbons, camellias and pearls are reinterpreted in this series as if they were given new life. Bows can be seen from the collar to the cuffs, sometimes delicate and light as a short poem, sometimes majestic and powerful as a prose. Particularly memorable is a black down jacket and sweatpants combination with a giant bow cascading down from the top, like the brushstrokes of calligraphy, alternating between thick and thin, in an orderly manner, as if to express that in addition to Chanel's elegance, it also adds a touch of unruly temperament.
Pearls are no longer just supporting roles, but have become the main structure. A pair of shoes with an oversized pearl as the heel is both practical and artistic, just like the soft and beautiful mood of "silver candles in autumn light on the cold painting screen, and a light silk fan fluttering against fireflies". At the same time, the bags in the series are also transformed into strings of pearls and hung on the body, like the artistic conception in landscape paintings, seemingly real and illusory, which is wonderful.
Aesthetics of both strength and softness
Tweed has never been absent since Chanel was founded. But this season, tweed breaks with the norm and is no longer just a symbol of elegance. Instead, it incorporates modern optical illusions, with gold and silver threads weaving in shimmering light, or leaving raw edges to give a sense of unfinishedness, just like the blank space in Chinese ink painting, making the clothing more casual and soft in its rigor. The contour design with enhanced shoulder lines and narrowed waist not only emphasizes women's strength and confidence, but also adds firmness to softness. The wide lapels, slender tailoring, and lazy looseness form an ambiguous balance between each other. Strength is always hidden behind gentleness.
The series' exploration of proportions and materials has reached its peak. The originally tough tannins are transformed into chiffon as thin as a cicada's wing; the originally smooth silk is presented with the texture of tweed through visual techniques. It is difficult to distinguish the real from the fake. Transparent tulle is layered on the skirt and jacket, creating a dreamlike illusion, like clouds and smoke, erratic and yet real and tangible. This contrast in visual and texture makes clothing no longer just clothing, but art that resonates with the viewer's heart.
Extreme details
No detail has been overlooked in this romantic and delicate collection. The shoes made of satin are decorated with delicate pleats, just like the flowing skirts in ancient ladies' paintings, showing their gentleness; the sheer organza hooded jacket is embellished with delicate bows, which is both practical and soft, and contains poetry in the ordinary. This season's shoes continue the overall tone. The sock-style boots lengthen the visual proportions, while the delicate pleated shoes are more like a Song Dynasty poem, graceful and leisurely.
