CHANEL Cruise 2026-27 Biarritz. Story by Eleonora de Gray, Editor-in-Chief of RUNWAY MAGAZINE. Photo Courtesy: Chanel.

The Mermaid’s Call and the Ghost of the Gazette

In 1915, Gabrielle Chanel looked at the rugged, wind-swept coast of Biarritz and saw a revolution. While Paris remained stifled by the rigid corsetry of tradition and the heavy shadows of war, the Basque coast offered a vacuum of freedom. At the Villa de Larralde, a stone’s throw from the casino and the crashing Atlantic, she established her couture house—a space that prefigured the legendary 31 Rue Cambon. Here, among the sailors and the artistic elite like Picasso and Cocteau, the CHANEL style was forged: jersey, linen, and a radical, carefree elegance.

Fast forward to April 28, 2026. Matthieu Blazy, in his first Cruise collection for the House, has returned to this “fashion pedestal.” Titled Sous le salon la plage (Under the salon, the beach), the collection is a masterful dialogue between the rigorous architecture of Art Deco and the fluid, shimmering fiction of the deep sea. It is a world where French workwear, leisure, and grandeur collide, dispensing with hierarchical clothing codes to create a new “CHANEL folklore.”

Teaser CHANEL Cruise 2026-27

The Allure of the Aquatic Workwear

Blazy’s vision is “sensorially pleasurable and experimental.” He treats the House codes not as a rigid brand exercise, but as an elemental architecture. The double C is woven into the very structure of the garments, reflecting the sinuous contours Gabrielle introduced in the 1930s.

One cannot ignore the heavy, intellectual wink to John Galliano’s newspaper era. Throughout the runway, there is an echo—a sarcastic homage to the “newsprint” suits and dresses that once scandalized the industry. In Blazy’s hands, this is refined. We see springy tweeds and washed cotton canvas suiting that carry a graphic, ink-on-paper energy, particularly in the sharp-shouldered silhouettes that command attention before they even reach the light.

• The Iridescent Shore: Take, for instance, a standout look featuring a structured tweed jacket in a vibrant orange and silver weave. It mimics the iridescent skin of a sea creature caught in the Biarritz sunset. The fringe detailing at the hem and cuffs feels less like fabric and more like shimmering coral, grounded by a sleek, chocolate-brown jersey top that pays direct homage to the fluid fabrics Chanel pioneered in 1915.
• Graphic Modernity: The “Basque stripe” is the linking line of the collection. We see it executed in a stunning, floor-length silk foulard dress—a bold mix of red, black, and white stripes that feels both nautical and defiant. It is paired with oversized sunglasses that scream “Art Deco architecture,” transforming the model into a moving piece of Biarritz history.

CHANEL Cruise 2026-27 Close Up

From the Salon to the Shore

Blazy is playing a game of “function and fiction.” He understands that the woman who wears Chanel today has no time for the “salon-bound existence” of the past. She needs clothes that move.

Look 12 perfectly captures this tension. A crisp, white knit romper with navy trim and gold buttons offers a “smart modernity” that could have been plucked from Gabrielle’s first sportswear creations. Yet, it is paired with avant-garde, thigh-high white leather boots with a pop of green on the sole—a “Blazy-ism” that grounds the luxury in something slightly alien and entirely future-proof.

The collection also embraces “CHANEL’s Black Dress.” Blazy presented Look One as a return to the original 1926 archival sketch. It is purposeful, precise, and unapologetically unadorned. However, in a stroke of wit, the large bow from the back of the original drawing has been transposed into a leather clutch bag. It is a “revenge dress” for the modern era—workwear that blurred hierarchies by being worn across different strata of society, much like denim once did.

The Texture of Freedom

The materials are the true stars here. From fluttering silk ensembles to rustling raffia skirts that sound like the wind in the sea grass, the collection is a tactile experience.

• The Mermaid’s Armor: In a breathtaking display of craft, a strapless black mini-dress is rendered in a compact, beaded knit that catches the light like wet pavement. It is paired with “barefoot” heel caps—shoes that provide the elevation of a heel while allowing the wearer to appear as though they are walking unburdened across the sand.
• The “Newsprint” Tweed: (Look 19) A shocking pink ensemble that subverts the traditional tweed suit. The jacket is boxy, almost oversized, with raw, frayed edges that give it a “paper” quality. It feels like a deconstructed newspaper, a high-fashion gazette that reports only on the freedom of movement.
• The Sequin Denim: (Look 26) This is where the fiction becomes reality. A shimmering, light-blue set that looks like distressed denim but is actually composed of thousands of micro-sequins. It is the ultimate expression of “leisure grandeur”—a sailor’s “bleu de travail” reimagined for a woman who spends her honeymoon painting with Picasso.

The Journey Home

The accessories reinforce the idea of a journey. We see everything from small valise handbags to waterproof flap bags and even a “pala” carrier (a nod to the Basque sport). The jewelry is a love letter to the “life aquatic,” where shell earrings are held to the ear and the iconic CHANEL pearl finds its spiritual home in the sea.

As Chanel continues its partnership with the Biarritz Film Festival – NOUVELLES VAGUES and renovates the Villa de Larralde, it is clear that the House is writing its history in the present tense. Blazy has managed to bridge the gap between 1915 and 2026 without ever sounding like a lecturer. He has given us a collection that is funny, respectable, and deeply informed.

The “salon” has officially slipped into the beach, and the result is a folklore of fashion that Gabrielle herself would have recognized: a smart, attractive modernity that demands nothing less than total freedom.

The question remains: in this new era of “barefoot” luxury, are you ready to be the caterpillar by day and the butterfly—or perhaps the mermaid—by night?

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