Matthieu Blazy Presents Sartorial Story Time for Chanel’s Fall 2026 Couture Show

Everyone cuddle up and get comfy—it’s time for story hour presented by Chanel creative director Matthieu Blazy. On Tuesday, the French-Belgian designer transformed Paris’s Grand Palais into a whimsical garden fit for the pages of a storybook for Chanel’s fall 2026 couture show. In the front row, Teyana Taylor, Pedro Pascal, Alexa Demie, Tilda Swinton, and more special guests waited for the tale to unfold before them. And Blazy’s sophomore couture collection, titled “Gaby and the Beanstalk,” did not disappoint in transporting the audience to a fanciful, fashionable world.

Blazy was inspired by a trip to Gabrielle Chanel’s personal library, where he stumbled upon a book of classic fairytales, Les Fées, by Charles Perrault. Nods to the stories could be seen throughout the presentation, both in the oversize stalks erupting from the venue’s ground and in the couture characters Blazy created. But not everything ono the runway was sartorial cosplay. First up, a model (sporting a very Coco-esque bob) in a beaded purple and red “tweed” trompe l’oeil set. It immediately became clear that Blazy had looked to the house founder and signatures while creating this collection—but the oversized nature of the vest and tweed stitching brought the classic Chanel motifs into a new era.

From there, the flowers began to bloom, literally. A second look was peppered with buds, while a third set bore vines and petals. A dress embroidered with greenery invoked a princess in an ivory-covered tower. Another netted number brought to mind The Little Mermaid. More classic characters were present, including The Wizard of Oz’s scarecrow, represented by three looks of frayed raffia. An ivory suit set with wisps of black tulle recalled the ugly duckling; here, she was a swan, but still unable to fully shed her past life.

As always with Blazy, details were wholly important. Shoes were a standout, with heels of pea pods, butterflies, and golden eggs. Models carried minaudières in the shape of colorful beans and sleeping bears. The more simple designs—including a sheer, eggshell dress and black and blue tweed suit—were layered with belts and chains that looked like they’d been thrown on with haste.

There was, of course, a Chanel bride—this time, in a dramatic, drop-waist lace dress with a boxy sheer bodice. Despite this being a couture tradition, Blazy eschewed convention and did not end the show with a wedding dress. Instead, he sent out a Little Black Dress—perhaps an ode to Coco, a woman who never married, but who found joy in creation. That legacy is her happy ending.