After unveiling its silhouettes in a New York subway station transformed into a cinematic set, Chanel is already preparing its next Métiers d’Art opus. The House is heading to Rome, where Matthieu Blazy will orchestrate a new chapter in December 2026. French craftsmanship and Italian charm are expected to take centre stage.
From New York to Rome
Chanel continues its grand cinematic narrative. After turning New York into a film set for its latest Métiers d’Art show, the House has already announced its next chapter. The event is set to take place in Rome on 2 December 2026.
A far from insignificant choice. Rome immediately evokes Cinecittà, Italian nights, Visconti, the actresses of the 1960s, and the kind of theatrical elegance Gabrielle Chanel so deeply admired after discovering the country in the 1920s.
Karl Lagerfeld had already staged a Métiers d’Art show there in 2015 at Rome’s legendary film studios. With Matthieu Blazy, the return to the Eternal City appears to signal a new vision, particularly as he has enjoyed remarkable popularity since his debut as the House’s artistic director. In the first quarter of the year, Chanel even climbed to the top of the ranking of the hottest brands according to the Lyst Index.
A first Métiers d’Art show that won over audiences
The latest Métiers d’Art show, presented in New York, had already set the tone. Gone were the hushed salons: Chanel had taken over a former Lower East Side subway station immersed in an almost cinematic atmosphere. Retro turnstiles, telephone booths, yellowed lighting, hurried silhouettes… the immersion was complete.
Matthieu Blazy injected a more urban energy into the House’s vocabulary. Tweed remained present but appeared softer and more deconstructed, worn alongside leather coats, thigh-high boots, fringes, long sequinned skirts, lingerie-inspired pieces, black knitwear, and animal prints. The silhouettes seemed to portray everyday characters — a woman crossing Manhattan at dawn, coffee in hand, impeccably dressed while still looking effortlessly natural.
But what stood out most was the contrast between the raw subway setting and the extreme refinement of Chanel’s artisanal workshops, including Lesage, Lemarié, Montex, and Massaro. Initiated by Karl Lagerfeld in 2002, the Métiers d’Art shows celebrate and elevate craftsmanship and the art of exceptional savoir-faire — the skilled hands that embody the very essence of luxury.
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Featured photo : Unsplash
