Held in a mirrored salon seaside in the French beach town of Biarritz, Blazy presented an upbeat collection largely designed for those escaping the city for some sun.
Its a wardrobe aesthetic and lifestyle ideal long held close by Chanel.
As noted by the house, founder Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel herself presented some of her first couture collections in the elegant town on the Basque coast. The designer is said to have drawn on the relaxed lifestyle there when she decided to rid her designs of some of the constraining fits traditionally worn by women of her era.
This freedom and upbeat perspective guided Blazy in his creations that included plenty of nods to the swimmers, sailors and holidaymakers of the region, in relaxed fits, oceanic detailing and stripes ahoy.
“Far from the Paris salon, Chanel found in Biarritz different ways of being and seeing, of movement and freedom,” said Blazy, when considering the impact the time had on the house’s founder. “She made them her fashion pedestal. It is a place that offers the perfect balance between function and fiction. Among artists, workers, nobility, sailors and the natural world, everyone and everything shared the same stage, living together as a norm. All had a role to play.”
The collection has historic references but is largely notable for its experimentation and fun. Giant stiped beach bags, swimming caps and a dress as if fashioned from a fishing net, were nevertheless accompanied more polished skirt suits and dresses, though they too had shrugged off any stuffy nature in favour of playful personality and modern ease.
Accessories were plentiful and sometimes surprising. Surely the most minimalist sandal to come out of the house was referred to as ‘heel cap’ – essentially a strappy leather anklet with a small heel covering (seen above).
Jewellery drew on the Art Deco architecture of Biarritz, and one notable earring bought to mind holding a large shell to your ear to ‘hear’ the sea.
Two barefoot models in a glimmering scale-like beaded gowns closing the show confirmed this was not the sharp and chic Parisian proposition we sometimes expect, and likely owes plenty to Blazy’s breezy new approach the fashion crowd seems to be lapping up.
All the looks from the Cruise 2026/27 Show
