jacquemus | le valérie

Well, Blazy did it (again). After the cinematic chase with A$AP Rocky and Margaret Qualley, the Chanel Métiers d’art 2026 show landed and it’s official: the future of the House is taking the express line downtown through an abandoned subway station, to be precise.

This was Matthieu Blazy’s first Métiers d’art collection for Chanel and he used the New York subway as his muse – the ultimate democratic setting where, as he puts it, “everyone has somewhere to go and each is unique in what they wear.” His genius was making the grit of the Big Apple meet the gilt of the Maisons d’art.

The runway was a chaotic, beautiful flash of New York life, showing a cavalcade of personalities: the socialite, the superhero, the working girl and even Coco Chanel herself. 

The collection itself slipped between decades, letting 1920s Art Deco glamour rub up against modern utility, the handwork of the artisans at le19M the only consistent thread. Alex Consani set the tone in a sharp pinstripe suit and fedora, followed by traditional tweed jackets shimmering with metallic threads. 

Bouclé coats donned with feathers and a chiffon tulip skirt sporting an exaggerated leopard print that bordered on surreal. Model of the year, Anok Yai, also emerged in one of the spectacular, light-as-air butterfly skirts.

Blazy’s strength lies in the masterful subversion of the archive, referencing not only its founder Coco, but making a spectacular nod to the witty, graphic energy of the Karl Lagerfeld era. A sharp suit under which peeked a knitted sweater bearing the unmistakable Superman emblem walked in, offering a moment of playful ostentation embedded inside Chanel tailoring. Right next to it, the infamous ‘I LOVE NY’ message got a shiny rework, presented as a sequinned sweater layered beneath a sharp pink tweed set. 

Blazy even invented ‘lingerie denim,’ then covered it in complex embroideries for a new kind of subversive Western wear. An archive Art Deco dress, with its phenomenal fringed feather work by Lemarié, was paired with chunky illusion chinos. The classic Chanel suit was delivered in a captivating slubbed leopard tweed (handwoven by Lesage), turning the sophisticated lady into a chic, urban catwoman. Even the humble lumberjack flannel was reinvented as a sumptuous wool boucle tweed, anchored by a weighted Chanel chain.

The devil, as always, is in the exquisite detail. A discreetly chic woman carries a classic flap bag with golden scales inlaid, giving the illusion of gilded alligator armour. 

Jewellery flashed with deco-style glass cabochons and sculptural gold hummingbirds, courtesy of Goossens. The accessories are brilliantly humorous, feeling like talismans or souvenirs: the minaudières came as oyster with a pearl inside, or they took the form of enamelled monkey nuts and apples, exalting the humble trinket. While the hand-crafted classic slingbacks from Massaro anchored many looks – whether in delicate kidskin or contemporary, shaved shearling animal print – the overall feeling was one of restless energy. 

Blazy perfectly captured what Gabrielle Chanel herself discovered in downtown NYC in 1931: that the sincerest form of flattery is seeing her designs adopted and adapted by the people on the street.

Discover the collection and rewatch the show here.

photography. courtesy of Chanel
words. Gennaro Costanzo

While the invite might be digital for most of us, the energy is very real. Tonight, December 2nd, the fashion world’s centre of gravity shifts firmly to Manhattan as Matthieu Blazy unveils his debut Métiers d’art collection for Chanel.

If you thought his Paris debut was a planetary shake-up, buckle up. Blazy is taking the House’s most sacred tradition – the annual celebration of its artisanal workshops – and dropping it into the grit and velocity of New York City.

For the occasion, Chanel dropped a short film that feels like a fever dream directed by Michel Gondry. Starring the House’s newest (and coolest) ambassador, A$AP Rocky, alongside the perennial muse Margaret Qualley, the film is a high-speed romance that treats NYC as an obstacle course.

We watch Rocky wake up, realise Qualley is gone, and proceed to sprint through the boroughs in his silky red pyjamas in what can only be described as ‘Olympic-level lover boy’ mode. Qualley, meanwhile, offers a serene counterpoint, slowly navigating the subway in her signature Chanel tweed jacket and loose trousers, stopping only to enjoy a jazz performance.

The sequence is pure Gondry surrealism: Rocky dives into the river, navigates chaotic streets and finally proposes at the Astor Place subway station. Set to a thumping original score by electronic producer Le Motel, it suggests that if this is the mood board for tonight, we can expect a collection that moves fast.

While the exact location remains a tightly guarded secret, Chanel President Bruno Pavlovsky teased earlier this year that Blazy “will make the creative energy of the city he knows so well resonate with the exceptional savoir-faire of the House.”

The creative director is expected to fuse the delicate, centuries-old craftsmanship of Chanel’s petites mains (embroiderers, feather workers, goldsmiths) with the raw, architectural pragmatism of the American city he once called home.

The show streams live tonight at 8:00 PM EST. Tune in on Chanel.com or the brand’s social channels to watch.

photography. courtesy of Chanel
words. Gennaro Costanzo

Miuccia Prada has never been one for a silent night. While other luxury houses are currently serving up polite velvet dresses and sensible dinner attire, Miu Miu has arrived to remind us that the holidays are actually about disorder, micro-shorts and looking fabulous while slightly unhinged.

The Holiday 2025 collection captures that specific Miu Miu girl energy that has kept the brand at the top of the Lyst Index for what feels like an eternity. It’s a wardrobe designed for “optimism and wonderment,” but interpreted through Miuccia’s subversive lens. 

As always with Miu Miu, the styling rules are meant to be broken. The collection champions the no-pants policy even in deep winter, pairing glittering sequin knits with the brand’s signature micro-shorts. Opera coats in duchesse satin are presented crumpled and embroidered, shimmering in soft shades alongside opulent shearling stoles. 

It’s a playful provocation, softened by bias-cut satin slips and lingerie-inspired dresses trimmed with ribbons and ultra-feminine bows – a nod to the ‘girlhood’ aesthetic the brand practically invented.

The energy extends to the accessories, which remain the gateway drug to the Miu Miu universe. The iconic Wander, Arcadie and Beau bags return in special festive pinks and reds, but the real draw is the Miu Miu Custom Studio. Tapping into the current appetite for ‘Jane Birkin-ifying’ luxury goods, the studio invites clients to transform sneakers and bags into one-of-a-kind pieces using a chaotic array of tricks, pins and charms.

On foot, the duality continues. You can choose between the ultra-flat, shiny nylon sneakers (perfect for sneaking out early) or the formidable knee-high stretch leather boots fresh off the Paris runway. 

Once again, Miu Miu is showing that the best way to dress for the holidays is to refuse to grow up.

Discover the Holiday 2025 Collection here.

photography. courtesy of Miu Miu
words. Gennaro Costanzo