Matthieu Blazy unveiled his first Chanel Métiers d’Art collection, “The C Line” in front of a stylish crowd of celebrity ambassadors and friends in New York. Craftsmanship, theatrically and modern elegance set the tone for the night.
Chanel presented its first Métiers d’Art collection at the helm of Matthieu Blazy on December 2. Prefaced by a cinematic teaser featuring brand ambassadors Margaret Qualley and A$AP Rocky, the show highlighted the expertise and savoir-faire of the French maison’s artisanal workshops.
Chanel takes over the NYC subway
After shaking the fashion world with his debut at Spring/Summer 2026 Paris Fashion Week, Matthieu Blazy led Chanel’s first transatlantic sojourn under his tenure. The occasion was the Chanel Metiers d’Art 2025 runway, a series of destination shows introduced by creative director Karl Lagerfeld in 2002.
Following previous stops in Asia (Tokyo and Hangzhou), this year, the event touched down in New York. The runway took over NYC’s Bowery station, reuniting fashion and entertainment luminaries from all generations.
Against the backdrop of the NYC subway, the runway delivered a romanticized depiction of the city’s public transportation. Models arrived by train, acting as everyday commuters—as the show notes read, each embodied a carefully crafted persona. There was “a journalist from the ’70s,” a businesswoman from the ‘80s and a young student rushing to class, among other characters that represented the Chanel woman across the spectrum. “All those characters, they also have embroideries, but it needs to somehow create an alchemy,” wrote Blazy in the Chanel newspaper that served as invitation to the show.
Guests took in the collection from orange benches lined up on the platform. Old-school entertainment icons like Meg Ryan and Jon Bon Jovi shared the spotlight with new-guard personalities such as Asian heartthrobs Wang Yibo, Gemini and G-Dragon.
The “C” Line
On the runway, Blazy focused on storytelling without overshadowing the artisanal craftsmanship Métiers d’Art celebrates. Highlighting the crossroads of motley characters at a subway station, each look channeled the clash between high fashion and everyday wear. The looks spanned sharp suiting, embellished tweed and statement patterns from polka dots to lavish leopard print.
Exemplifying the encounter of French artisanal techniques and New York’s kitsch, the collection thrived on wearability, movement and dynamism. Even the most elaborate pieces allowed models to move freely across the Bowery platform. Of course, the focus was on the juxtaposition of color, textures and forms. The maximalist lineup balanced streamlined silhouettes and lavish materials, showcasing the savoir-faire of the 11 artisan maisons (including Lesage, MLemarié and Maison Michel) residing at le 19M, Chanel’s collaborative hub.
Feathers, nets embellished with rhinestones, fringes and heavy embroideries adorned voluminous skirts, structured blazers, and pared-down essentials, including a T-shirt with the iconic “I LOVE NY” logo created by graphic designer Milton Glaser in the 1970s
Like true New Yorkers
Similar to the runway, the front row was a melting pot of personalities across creative industries and regions. U.S. rapper A$AP Rocky, recently announced as a Chanel ambassador, graced the event dressed in relaxed tailoring and classic Chanel staples, including a tweed jacket and a flap bag.
Emblematic Asian star and Chanel ambassador G-Dragon lit up the event in a black jacket and wide-legged pants combination. Paying homage to the brand, his fit featured Chanel’s signature camellias in 3D appliqués attached to the hems and neckline. Actors Wang Yibo, Ayo Edebiri and Moon Lee went for similar style formulas, wearing matching sets and classic tweed with elements deeply associated with Chanel, such as bitonal combinations and brooches.
Channeling the cotidianity, informing the show’s setting, other celebrity attendants opted for casual outfits. House friends such as Gemini and Whitney Peak wore denim and everyday jackets, bringing youthful and nonchalant energy to the VIP section.
Other attendees to the event included Lux Pascal, Tilda Swinton, Solange Knowles and Kristen Stewart.
Chanel reclaims global attention
Chanel’s Métiers d’Art show comes on the heels of Matthieu Blazy’s highly anticipated debut at Paris Fashion Week SS26. The runway, staged at the iconic Grand Palais, dominated media conversations, emerging as the second most impactful runway in Paris. Per software and data company Launchmetrics, the event garnered $94.8 million in Media Impact Value (MIV), only surpassed by Jonathan Anderson’s star-studded womenswear debut at Dior.
In 2025, the brand shifted its focus back to pop culture, leveraging its presence through high-profile partnerships and friendships with celebrities such as Kendrick Lamar, Rebecca Patricia Armstrong, Gemini, Ananya Panday, Tyla, Ayo Edebiri and A$AP Rocky.
The latest, for example, was announced as Chanel’s newest brand ambassador through a short film anticipating the Chanel Métiers d’Art collection. The appointment generated $5.7 million in MIV between November 29 and December 1. Meanwhile, Indian actress Ananya Panday’s ambassador appointment accrued $2.5 million in MIV within a week of the announcement date.
