Located in southwestern France, the city of Biarritz served as the inspiration for creative director Matthieu Blazy’s cruise 2026–2027 collection for Chanel. The location is significant to the house, as it is where its matriarch, Gabrielle Chanel, chose to open her first couture house in 1915. It was there that she fine-tuned the house’s style, borrowing codes from sportswear, nautical fashion, and workwear for her designs.

That sense of interplay is alive in Matthieu’s collection, dubbed “Sous Le Salon La Plage” (“Underneath the Salon, the Beach”). The collection opened in classic Chanel fashion with a little black dress rendered in an Art Deco style. Stripes reigned supreme throughout the collection, a nod to traditional Basque homes and sailor uniforms. Looks featuring swimming caps emblazoned with the double-C logo echoed Gabrielle’s costume designs for the 1924 ballet “Le Train Bleu.”

But Matthieu is not someone who shies away from fantasy. Visiting the coastal city further fueled his obsession with mermaids. After a medley of looks inspired by workwear and sportswear came sequin gowns with fishtail silhouettes. This fantasy was mirrored in the accessories, from shell-like earrings to pearlescent clutches.

From fluttering silk foulard ensembles and rustling raffia skirts to washed cotton canvas suiting, Matthieu crafted a collection that captures the spirit of Biarritz, where salon culture meets the carefree rhythm of the sea, while honoring the early beginnings of the maison.