Women's Lifestyle April 28, 2026 0 Comments

How Chanel’s Biarritz Spotlight Is Changing the Game—And What It Means for Your Lifestyle Glow-Up

Ever wonder what happens when Chanel’s storied past crashes into the pulsating vibes of today’s fashion scene? Well, Matthieu Blazy—the maestro who’s been steering Chanel’s creative ship for five seasons—just dropped his very first resort collection, and spoiler alert: it’s as captivating as a seaside dance in Biarritz, where Coco herself first dreamed up couture magic back in 1915. Picture this—elite guests like Nicole Kidman and A$AP Rocky gathered in a space draped with glimmering mirrors, plush ivory carpets, and ornate armchairs, all soaking in panoramic ocean views. But here’s the kicker—the collection isn’t a stiff homage; it’s a joyride through history wrapped in playful elegance, inspired by a woman who ditched her heels to wander beaches and mingle with artists. Blazy’s take bridges that spirited past with today’s luxury, weaving the iconic Chanel logo into pieces that feel both aspirational and deeply personal. It’s a stroll through time with a wink and a splash of irreverence—fashion that’s as much about feeling good barefoot on the sand as it is turning heads. Ready to dive into a world where classic meets cheeky charm? Let’s get into it. LEARN MORE

4 min read

Today marked another first for Chanel’s creative director Matthieu Blazy. Though he is now five seasons into his role, Blazy debuted his take on the house’s resort offering. The show took place in Biarritz, the French seaside town where Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel opened her first couture salon in 1915 and showed some of her earliest collections. Guests from around the world, including Michaela Coel, Nicole Kidman, A$AP Rocky, and Tilda Swinton, gathered in the town’s municipal casino, not far from Chanel’s original location. Blazy and his team decorated the space to reimagine Mademoiselle Chanel’s salon, with mirrors covering the walls and ceiling, a plush ivory carpet lining the floors, gilded Baroque armchairs, and, outside of the windows, a perfect view of the Atlantic Ocean.

But this collection wasn’t all about work—it wouldn’t be Blazy’s if that were true. His homages to the house’s history are always joyful and always about the woman at the core of it, who was not just a revolutionary designer and shrewd businessperson but also someone who enjoyed taking off her heels and carrying them while wandering the beach, dancing and dining al fresco with her lover (or happily by herself), swimming and hiking, meeting the local sailors and artists. As Blazy emphasized backstage, when Mlle. came to Biarritz, she had every source of pleasure and inspiration at her disposal, day or night. “These kinds of different activities led to a lot of the fashion she would come to do,” he said.

LAUNCHMETRICS SPOTLIGHT

That fashion Chanel once pioneered was translated by Blazy into extraordinarily clever clothes, but nothing so whimsical as to wade into overtly kitsch waters. Blazy opened the show with the “Little Black Dress”—a reinterpretation of Mlle. Chanel’s radical, loose-cut, drop-waist black dress from 1926, which turns 100 this year. When Blazy was researching, he realized that the original iteration wasn’t as simple as it has been remembered: It actually had a big bow fastened to the back. But instead of adding the bow back on, Blazy turned it into a beautiful clutch bag, the ribbons sweeping gently across the floor as the model walked. She wore effortless-looking loafers with her LBD, punctuated by big silver interlocked Cs.

This is the first collection where Blazy has put any significant focus on the Chanel logo, and the results were brilliantly anti-OTT: an easy brown shirt with white piping that snaked its way into the Cs at the neckline; a billowy, off-the-shoulder dress with almost unnoticeable Cs interlocked at the bodice and cascading around the arms and drop waist; graphic foulard print separates with double Cs woven into the geometric patterns and colorblocking.

LAUNCHMETRICS SPOTLIGHT

“I used to work at Bottega,” Blazy told Bazaar, laughing. “No logo. I got familiar with the idea of a logo here, and I love a logo. This one is beautiful… thank god.” By adding the famous double Cs into the collection, Blazy transported us from Mlle. Chanel’s Biarritz in 1926 to the Chanel of today, a brand beloved for its monogram. Blazy believes that today’s Chanel should do both things: it should resonate with people aspirationally, but also emotionally. With resort, Blazy drove this idea home, not only because of the thoughtful use of the double Cs and the callback to the little black dress, and not only because of the genuinely diverse casting (he’s casted every show thus far with models of various backgrounds and ages; this season Kaya Wikins, who is 6 months pregnant, walked) but also because of the breadth of style on offer.

LAUNCHMETRICS SPOTLIGHT

And yes, because some of the pieces in the collection beckoned for a giggle. There was a glittering tangerine skirt suit that was mixed in with glistening, scale-like sequin mermaid gowns, and a workwear jacket and skirt in a spectacular shade of bubblegum pin. The latter was a nod to Mlle. Chanel’s habit of dressing in no-fuss fabrics like corduroy and cotton on her trips to Biarritz. (In the audience, A$AP Rocky carried a matching pink bag, a pair of custom pink baby booties hanging from the handle.)

There were bathing caps with thigh-high waders, shorts made in collaboration with Charvet, and a waterproof version of the iconic Chanel flap bag. One model carried her colorful-toe-capped pony-hair pumps (a similar pair to the viral ones from Blazy’s first collection) while wearing crazy little half-shoes that covered only her heel and were tied around the ankle. Coming from the guy who ignited a fresh It shoe craze in recent months, the gesture and the audacious little half shoe—sheel!?—was a giggle in itself.

LAUNCHMETRICS SPOTLIGHT

It was also weird and funny and fantastic to hear the show music move from the serene sound of waves and children playing to whale songs, and then on to Tino Rossi, Kylie Minogue’s “Come Into My World” (Blazy recently recreated the music video), and a monologue performed by Leonardo DiCaprio in the 2000s thriller The Beach. But that amalgamation of nostalgia and lightness, of the off-beat and the precise, is what has made Blazy’s tenure thrilling—and insanely covetable—so far. With his first resort collection, that pull has gotten even stronger, whether you’re in it for the logo, the luxury, or the really beautiful clothes—made for wearing barefoot or not.