Chanel Spring/Summer 2027 – Free to Fly 🕊️
Paris Fashion Week | Off The Cuff ✂️
There are few names in fashion as instantly recognisable as Chanel.
Tweed.
Pearls.
The little black dress.
Quilted bags.
Two-tone shoes.
Chain straps.
The Chanel suit.
For decades, these signatures have formed one of fashion's most recognisable visual languages.
But what happens when a new creative director decides not to preserve those codes exactly as they are?
What happens when he loosens them, stretches them, softens them and lets them fly?
For Spring/Summer 2027, Matthieu Blazy continued his remarkable first chapter at Chanel with a collection that felt familiar and surprising in equal measure.
Presented beneath an extraordinary installation of illuminated birds at the Grand Palais, the collection explored freedom, transformation and the many different identities of Gabrielle Chanel herself.
And, perhaps most importantly, it showed that the Chanel suit still has plenty of life left in it.
It just needs a little room to move.
A Year of Matthieu Blazy
Spring/Summer 2027 marks approximately one year since Matthieu Blazy presented his first ready-to-wear collection for Chanel.
His challenge was never going to be straightforward.
Chanel isn't simply another fashion house.
Its codes are so deeply embedded in fashion history that changing them risks losing the very identity that makes the house powerful.
Blazy's solution has been fascinating.
He hasn't attempted to erase Chanel.
Instead, he has begun reinterpreting it.
The tweed remains.
The pearls remain.
The tailoring remains.
The bags remain.
The femininity remains.
But the way those elements are put together has changed.
There is more movement.
More youthfulness.
More sensuality.
More unpredictability.
And, increasingly, more humour.
The result is a Chanel that feels less like a museum of its own history and more like a house actively having a conversation with it.
Under a Sky Full of Birds 🕊️
The setting immediately established the mood.
Inside the Grand Palais, a giant moon illuminated a flock of oversized birds suspended above the runway.
The birds appeared almost weightless — a visual representation of the collection's central idea of flight and freedom.
The contrast with Chanel's traditional image was striking.
This was one of the world's most historic fashion houses, surrounded by an enormous theatrical installation, yet the clothes themselves were increasingly interested in lightness.
It was as though Blazy was asking:
What happens when Chanel lets go?
The answer was a collection that felt considerably less formal than some of the house's traditional codes might suggest.
The Many Lives of Gabrielle Chanel
There was another important idea behind the collection.
Blazy looked at the different versions of Gabrielle Chanel herself.
Before she became the legendary designer, she was a young woman shaped by the restrictive clothing of the Edwardian period.
Later, she became one of the women responsible for changing what women could wear.
Corsetry gave way to freedom.
Restriction gave way to movement.
Formality gave way to practicality.
Blazy uses that transformation as a foundation for SS27.
The collection moves between historical references and modern freedom, suggesting that Chanel's greatest legacy wasn't simply a particular garment.
It was the idea that clothing could change the way a woman lived.
The Chanel Suit Gets Moving ✂️
Naturally, the Chanel suit remains central.
But this isn't quite the Chanel suit we've seen before.
Blazy continues to question its traditional construction.
Jackets become softer.
Proportions relax.
Waists are exposed.
Skirts become shorter or more fluid.
And the famous tweed is transformed into something far more flexible.
One of the collection's most intriguing innovations was “smocked tweed” — a new treatment that gives the traditionally structured fabric a remarkable degree of stretch and movement.
It is a clever piece of Chanel alchemy.
Tweed has historically represented structure.
Smocking suggests elasticity.
Put the two together and suddenly the traditional Chanel jacket becomes something closer to sportswear.
The result is unmistakably Chanel.
But it behaves differently.
And that is precisely what makes it exciting.
Tweed, But Not as We Know It
For us at A Hand Tailored Suit, this experimentation with tweed is particularly interesting.
Tweed is a fabric with enormous character.
Texture.
Weight.
Warmth.
Structure.
But it doesn't necessarily have to result in a rigid silhouette.
Blazy demonstrates that even one of fashion's most recognisable traditional materials can be reconsidered.
The familiar Chanel tweed appears in new patterns and treatments, including windowpane effects and tiger-inspired prints, while raw edges and unexpected finishing techniques give the fabric a more contemporary attitude.
It is a useful reminder that cloth is never simply cloth.
How it is woven.
How it is cut.
How it is finished.
How it is constructed.
All of these decisions completely alter how the finished garment behaves.
The Return of the Skirt Suit
The skirt suit remains unmistakably Chanel.
But Blazy doesn't treat it as a precious historical object.
He makes it feel relevant again.
Jackets become cropped.
Skirts become shorter.
Waists are revealed.
Tweed is mixed with transparency.
And formal tailoring is placed alongside bare skin and athletic influences.
The traditional silhouette is still there.
But it has been liberated from its own reputation.
This feels particularly important.
Because the danger with an iconic garment is that it can become trapped by its own history.
Blazy's Chanel seems determined not to let that happen.
From Edwardian Corsetry to Bare Skin
The collection also revisited the relationship between the body and clothing.
Boning lines, sculpted bodices and peplum shapes referenced the restrictive corsetry of Gabrielle Chanel's early years.
But those references were then softened, exposed or deliberately disrupted.
The result creates an interesting dialogue.
Restriction versus freedom.
Structure versus movement.
Clothing versus body.
That tension is at the heart of the collection.
And it is also at the heart of Chanel's own history.
Gabrielle Chanel didn't invent the idea of liberation through clothing by accident.
She understood that changing the silhouette could change how women moved through the world.
Blazy is simply asking what that idea means now.
Sheer, Sensual and Surprisingly Light
If the tailoring represented Chanel's structure, the sheer pieces represented its freedom.
Transparent skirts.
Fluid dresses.
Sheer knits.
Lightweight layers.
Delicate embroidered fabrics.
Some skirt suits were constructed from almost transparent materials, while others used floral embroidery and beadwork to create a sense of movement across the body.
It gave the collection a sensuality that felt quite different from the traditional Chanel image.
This wasn't the controlled elegance of a perfectly buttoned jacket.
It was more relaxed.
More revealing.
More playful.
And considerably more modern.
Eveningwear Takes Flight
Blazy also continued to develop his approach to Chanel eveningwear.
Instead of making evening dresses feel heavy or overly ceremonial, he allowed them to float.
Layers of silk moved around the body.
Some fabrics shifted in colour and texture.
Tulle and sheer materials created a cloud-like effect.
Sequins and beads caught the light.
The result was glamorous, but not static.
Eveningwear becomes something you can move through.
Rather than something that simply sits beautifully on the body.
And that distinction is important.
A great evening garment should look spectacular when standing still.
But it should look even better when the wearer moves.
A New Language of Colour 🎨
Blazy's Chanel is becoming increasingly comfortable with colour.
The traditional black, white, cream and tweed palette remains important, but SS27 introduces much more vibrant combinations.
Red.
Green.
Blue.
Yellow.
Pink.
Animal prints.
Unexpected combinations.
The colour doesn't feel decorative for the sake of decoration.
It contributes to the sense of freedom.
The collection refuses to be overly controlled.
And that makes the colour feel youthful without becoming juvenile.
Tiger Tweed 🐅
One of the collection's more unexpected moments was the use of tiger-print tweed.
It is almost an oxymoron.
Tweed suggests British tradition.
Tiger print suggests something far more rebellious.
Put them together and the result becomes unmistakably Blazy.
This is the kind of combination that makes the collection interesting.
Rather than creating a new fabric simply for novelty, he takes something completely associated with Chanel and gives it an entirely different attitude.
The house code remains recognisable.
The personality changes.
Chanel Meets the Wardrobe
Another strength of the collection is its ability to move beyond the idea of the “Chanel look”.
Blazy is building a wardrobe rather than a series of isolated fashion moments.
Tailored jackets.
Skirts.
Trousers.
Knitwear.
Sheer pieces.
Outerwear.
Sportswear influences.
Eveningwear.
The pieces can be mixed.
And that is perhaps where his Chanel feels most contemporary.
The modern customer doesn't necessarily want to look like they have stepped directly out of a Chanel campaign.
They want to wear Chanel their own way.
The Iconic 2.55 Returns
And then there was the ultimate reminder of Chanel's history.
The opening and closing looks were carried with Gabrielle Chanel's own 2.55 handbag, dating from 1955.
It was a remarkable gesture.
The original bag sat beside Blazy's newest interpretation of the house.
Almost seven decades of Chanel history in one image.
The message was clear.
The future doesn't require abandoning the past.
It requires doing something with it.
The Details Matter
Blazy's Chanel is also increasingly about the small details.
Raw edges.
Unexpected fastenings.
Bird motifs.
Pearls.
Chains.
Two-tone shoes.
Quilting.
Buttons.
Embellishment.
But these details don't feel like a checklist of Chanel signatures.
They are redistributed.
Moved.
Enlarged.
Reduced.
Reinterpreted.
The result is a collection that feels familiar without becoming predictable.
And that is a difficult balance to achieve.
The Chanel Man — Even When He's Not There
There is also something inherently masculine about the collection's tailoring.
Blazy has repeatedly explored the relationship between masculine and feminine wardrobes at Chanel.
For SS27, that language becomes even more apparent through sharper jackets, waistcoats, trousers and relaxed tailoring.
But rather than making femininity disappear, the masculine elements become another layer.
A strong jacket can sit over bare skin.
A waistcoat can become sculptural.
A tailored piece can be worn with something completely delicate.
It is not about choosing between masculine and feminine.
It is about allowing both to exist simultaneously.
The Off The Cuff Take ✂️
For us at A Hand Tailored Suit, the most fascinating part of Chanel SS27 is undoubtedly the treatment of tailoring.
Because Blazy understands something fundamental:
A classic garment doesn't have to remain static.
The Chanel jacket is iconic.
But an icon can evolve.
Change the shoulder.
Alter the length.
Soften the construction.
Change the cloth.
Introduce stretch.
Expose the waist.
Pair it with something unexpected.
Suddenly, the same fundamental garment has a completely different personality.
That is also one of the great strengths of bespoke tailoring.
A suit isn't a fixed object.
It is a conversation between cloth, cut, proportion and wearer.
And when those elements are reconsidered, even the most traditional garment can feel completely new.
From the Grand Palais to the Cutting Table
There is a particularly valuable lesson here for anyone considering bespoke tailoring.
The most timeless suit isn't necessarily the one that looks exactly like every suit that came before it.
It is the one that has the right fundamentals.
A beautifully balanced shoulder.
A clean chest.
A considered waist.
A trouser with the correct break.
A cloth that works with the wearer.
Then comes personality.
Perhaps it is a classic navy.
Perhaps a bold check.
Perhaps a textured tweed.
Perhaps something entirely unexpected.
Chanel SS27 shows that heritage is strongest when it provides the foundation for experimentation.
Free to Fly
Matthieu Blazy's first year at Chanel has been about restoring a sense of curiosity to one of fashion's most established houses.
Spring/Summer 2027 feels like a continuation of that mission.
The tweed is still there.
The pearls are still there.
The suit is still there.
The 2.55 is still there.
But everything feels a little lighter.
A little stranger.
A little younger.
And considerably more alive.
The birds above the runway weren't simply decoration.
They were the perfect metaphor.
Chanel is learning to fly.
Watch Chanel Spring/Summer 2027 🎥
Experience Matthieu Blazy's Chanel Spring/Summer 2027 collection from the Grand Palais and see the latest chapter in his reinterpretation of the house's iconic codes.
Watch Chanel Spring/Summer 2027 on YouTube
Off The Cuff ✂️
Chanel's greatest strength has always been its ability to make history feel relevant.
Matthieu Blazy isn't trying to replace the Chanel suit.
He's simply asking what it could become next.
And after SS27, the answer appears to be:
lighter, freer, more sensual — and perhaps just a little more rebellious.
A Little Off The Cuff… 😉
At A Hand Tailored Suit, we completely understand the desire to reinvent a classic.
Change the cloth.
Change the cut.
Change the proportions.
Give the old favourite a new personality.
Although we're not entirely convinced that 95 illuminated birds suspended above the fitting room are necessary.
Then again, perhaps we've been playing it too safe.
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— Off The Cuff A Hand Tailored Suit ✂️
