Virginie Viard vs Matthieu Blazy: How Chanel Changed Between Spring/Summer 2022 and Spring/Summer 2027
Chanel is undoubtedly one of the fashion industry's biggest talking points right now. With Matthieu Blazy ushering in a new era at the French maison, conversations around the future of Chanel have never been more relevant. To explore how the house is evolving, Luxury Endless compares two defining collections: Virginie Viard's Spring/Summer 2022 and Matthieu Blazy's Spring/Summer 2027.
While Viard's Chanel remained closely connected to the visual legacy established by Karl Lagerfeld, embracing prominent logos, familiar house codes and a polished interpretation of Parisian femininity, Blazy's vision introduces a softer and more instinctive approach. His Chanel feels less structured, less reliant on overt branding and more focused on movement, individuality and wearability.
By placing Spring/Summer 2027 alongside Spring/Summer 2022, this feature examines how Chanel's silhouettes, accessories and overall attitude have shifted in just five years, revealing the transition from a house preserving its recent past to one confidently redefining its future.
Vision
Virginie Viard preserved Chanel. Matthieu Blazy is redefining it.
Viard's work often felt like a continuation of the Chanel shaped by Karl Lagerfeld, carefully maintaining the visual language and recognisable signatures that had defined the house for decades. Blazy, meanwhile, appears more interested in reconnecting with Gabrielle Chanel's original spirit of freedom, ease and modernity than simply repeating familiar symbols.
The Double C Logo
Viard celebrated the logo. Blazy lets the clothes take centre stage.
Spring/Summer 2022 embraced visible Chanel branding, with interlocking CC motifs appearing throughout the collection and reinforcing the house's instantly recognisable identity. Under Blazy, branding feels quieter and less central, as craftsmanship, silhouette and styling become the primary means of expression.
Wearability
Polished versus effortless.
Viard's Chanel woman was refined, elegant and put together. Blazy's Chanel woman appears more relaxed and instinctive. Tailoring feels lighter, silhouettes are less rigid and pieces are designed to move naturally with the body rather than frame it. The result is a wardrobe that feels increasingly relevant to the way women dress today.
Bags
From lady-like icons to lived-in luxury.
During Viard's tenure, Chanel bags continued to embody the polished allure that has long defined the brand. Under Blazy, accessories feel less precious and more personal, styled as part of everyday life rather than as symbols of status. The emphasis is not on perfection, but on emotional connection and longevity.
CHANEL Bags 2022
CHANEL Bags 2027
Femininity
The glamorous Chanel woman versus the woman behind Chanel.
Viard often looked to Chanel's modern mythology, revisiting the glamour of the 1980s and 1990s and celebrating the runway energy associated with the Lagerfeld years. Blazy's focus has shifted towards Gabrielle Chanel herself, exploring the personal journey that led her to challenge restrictive dressing and champion freedom through fashion.
Structure and Silhouette
Defined versus fluid.
Spring/Summer 2022 delivered colourful tweeds, sharp styling and recognisable Chanel polish. Spring/Summer 2027 introduced softer tailoring, semi-sheer layers and silhouettes that appear less formal and more spontaneous. The difference is subtle but significant: one celebrates the heritage uniform, while the other reimagines it.
Final Thoughts
If Virginie Viard's Chanel represented the elegant continuation of the Lagerfeld legacy, Matthieu Blazy's Chanel signals the beginning of a new conversation. The double C has not disappeared, but it no longer dominates the narrative. Instead, the focus has shifted towards the woman herself: how she moves, how she lives and how she wears her clothes.
In an era increasingly defined by quiet confidence rather than overt luxury, Blazy's Chanel feels less like a symbol and more like a wardrobe. And that may be the most radical transformation of all.