Chanel shows its Cruise 2026-2027 collection in the place where Gabrielle Chanel opened her haute couture house in 1915.

In 1915, Gabrielle Chanel chose Biarritz as the setting for what would become one of her most defining moves&mdash;establishing her haute couture house and introducing a new vision of effortless, liberated elegance. After launching her career as a milliner in Paris and opening boutiques in Deauville in 1912 and Monte Carlo in 1914, Chanel turned to the Basque coast to fully realize her evolving aesthetic.
At the Villa de Larralde, just steps from the casino and the sea, she created a multifaceted space that housed her boutique, atelier, and private apartment&mdash;an early blueprint for the now-iconic 31 Rue Cambon in Paris. Removed from the rigid formality of European courts and traditional Parisian fashion, Biarritz offered a more relaxed, modern backdrop&mdash;one that naturally aligned with Chanel&rsquo;s understated yet revolutionary approach to style.

It&rsquo;s only fitting, then, that Matthieu Blazy chose Biarritz&mdash;so deeply embedded in the house&rsquo;s history&mdash;to unveil his first Cruise collection for Chanel. Titled &ldquo;Sous le Salon la Plage,&rdquo; the collection honors Mademoiselle&rsquo;s legacy with both precision and a touch of wit. It was here that Gabrielle Chanel famously reimagined jersey&mdash;once reserved for undergarments&mdash;into fluid, liberating silhouettes that redefined modern dressing.
Blazy builds on that spirit, juxtaposing French workwear with high glamour, marini&egrave;res with eveningwear, and practicality with fantasy. Traditional dress codes are quietly undone, replaced by a wardrobe that feels both intuitive and elevated. Fabrics heighten the sensory experience: liquid silks, supple tweeds, embellished knits, and fish-scale sequins that shimmer like the sea.

The house&rsquo;s signatures are reinterpreted with intention. The interlocking double C motif traces a kind of autobiographical thread, while the opening look&mdash;a black dress&mdash;nods to Chanel&rsquo;s groundbreaking 1926 design, often referred to as the &ldquo;Ford&rdquo; of fashion for its democratic simplicity. Blazy subtly updates the silhouette with a sculptural bow at the back, reimagined as a clutch&mdash;an understated, intelligent twist that encapsulates his approach: deeply informed, but never beholden to the past.
Accessories reinforce the collection&rsquo;s sense of movement and escape, from miniature suitcase bags to oversized striped beach totes, alongside waterproof flap bags and playful shovel-shaped designs. Jewelry draws from Biarritz itself, echoing its Art Deco architecture and coastal landscape through shell motifs and strands of pearls that feel entirely at home by the sea.

<h3 style="text-align: justify;">Watch the Chanel Cruise 2027 show in Biarritz, France</h3>

The CHANEL Cruise 2026/27 Show

Chanel Cruise 2027. Getty Images.

In Biarritz, Chanel Revisits the Birthplace of Resortwear for Cruise 2027

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In Biarritz, Chanel Revisits the Birthplace of Resortwear for Cruise 2027

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