Chanel in Seoul: Matthieu Blazy Breaks Down His Historic Métiers d'Art 2026 Show

When Matthieu Blazy decided to restage his debut Métiers d’Art collection for Chanel, bringing the show from New York to Seoul felt less like a logistical shift and more like an intuitive cultural exchange. Unveiled at the new Centre Pompidou Hanwha, the runway served as a dynamic intersection of global pop culture, modern art, and unparalleled Parisian craftsmanship. Reflecting on the monumental presentation, Blazy breaks down the historical deep-dives, the artisanal mastery, and the profound humanity driving his vision for the iconic luxury house in a post-show discussion with travelling press, including Hypebeast.

For Blazy, the decision to bring the collection to South Korea—spearheaded alongside Chanel’s President of Fashion, Bruno Pavlovsky—was rooted in the city’s undeniable contemporary influence. The creative director recognized a parallel vibrancy between the bustling streets of Manhattan and the rapid cultural ascension of Seoul.

“Not that I want to compare New York and Seoul, but for me, it has similar energy,” Blazy explains. “There is something very magnetic that is happening in Seoul… I mean it’s really a culture that became global. We all know it. Incredible chefs, incredible food, incredible music. Korean is the third language learned in the USA because of K-pop and movies, and I thought Seoul was the perfect background for this collection.”

The venue itself further anchored his vision. Hosted in a new museum showcasing its first exhibition dedicated to cubism, the setting perfectly mirrored the multifaceted nature of the collection. “Cubism is the representation of a woman or of a man,” he notes, finding a poetic link between the fractured, dimensional art movement and the diverse characters he sent down the runway.

Blazy’s Chanel is fundamentally about the person wearing the clothes, rather than the clothes wearing the person. He envisions a sartorial melting pot where time is erased—blending the ’70s, the Art Deco period, and the modern day to reflect how people naturally mix vintage and contemporary pieces in the streets. He says, “It was about a look for everyday…What I like about those looks is it’s not just about fashion, it’s about the person who wears it.”

Diving into the Chanel archives, Blazy pulled out surprising, playful elements. He reintroduced animal prints, a direct nod to Gabrielle Chanel herself. He also wasn’t afraid to inject loud, modern pop culture into the heritage brand, featuring superhero-inspired “Spider-Man” and “Superman” looks, a popcorn tweed suit, and even a loving sartorial homage to his own dog.

At its core, the Métiers d’Art collection is a love letter to the legendary Parisian artisans housed at le19M. Blazy views the collection through a lens of immense respect for the historic craftspeople who bring his sketches to life. “It is a ready-to-wear collection, but the tool is the hand,” he states beautifully. For Blazy, directing these historic ateliers requires stepping back and absorbing their generational wisdom.

Perhaps Blazy’s most profound takeaway is his perspective on Gabrielle Chanel’s influence on modern ease. Recalling her transformative trip to New York in the 1920s, he describes how seeing downtown women wearing clothes in the style of Chanel for their real, everyday lives completely changed her approach to design. Following that notion, Blazy too, takes great consideration of how both Chanel and women can be symbiotic in everyday life.

Beyond the impeccable tailoring and historic savoir-faire, the Seoul show was a deeply personal affair for the creative director. He made it a point to highlight his ongoing relationships with his models, noting that the runway serves as a place of reunion and shared life milestones.