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The New York Subway Becomes the Ultimate Luxury Runway
By María Fideu
December 5, 2025
One of the most anticipated shows of the season has arrived: Chanel Métiers d’Art 2026, an annual celebration that pays tribute to the artisanal excellence of the ateliers that form the creative heart of the maison.
Matthieu Blazy breaks all the rules in his debut, transforming an abandoned Bowery station into the most coveted runway of the season. Forget palaces; the new luxury travels by subway.
If Gabrielle Chanel freed women from corsets, Matthieu Blazy seems determined to free them from the rigidity of traditional haute couture. In a collection that explored the duality between heritage and innovation, the French maison did the unthinkable: it went underground.
For the Métiers d’Art 2026 collection, Chanel didn’t choose the Met nor the Public Library, but an out-of-service subway station in Bowery. The result? A cinematic ode to commuter style.
The Setting: “Next Stop, Chanel”
The guests including new ambassador A$AP Rocky, Ayo Edebiri, and Margaret Qualley descended onto a transformed platform where urban reality collided with the atmosphere of a 2000s romantic comedy. Redefining a woman who is determined and self-assured.
The actress Margaret Qualley |Getty images
Blazy’s brilliance lies in his ability to take the mundane and elevate it to art. The collection was a parade of New York archetypes seen through a lens of extreme luxury:
The New Urban Uniform: We saw quarter-zip sweater. Yes, that basic office staple reimagined with luxurious wools and pearl draping.
Winks to the Big Apple: The details were delightfully literal yet subtle. Skirts with beaded embroidery recreating the Manhattan skyline at night, and the house’s iconic tweed fused with “lumberjack” flannel patterns a nod to the most rustic side of American style paired with the classic I LOVE NY T-shirt. Could it get any more iconic?
Craftsmanship (Métiers d’Art)
Let’s remember that this show exists to celebrate Chanel’s artisans (the embroidery, feather, and goldsmithing houses). Blazy managed to ensure that this technical virtuosity didn’t feel “museum-like.” An Art Deco dress rescued from the archives was reconfigured with Lemarié feathers, but styled with chinos to give it that effortless “I just threw on the first thing I found and I look fabulous” attitude.
Matthieu Blazy has achieved what once seemed impossible: injecting a dose of raw reality into Chanel’s fantasy world without losing a single ounce of elegance.
The Métiers d’Art 2026 collection was not just a show; it was a statement of intent. Chanel under the Blazy era is younger, more versatile, and deeply connected to how modern women dress today. If luxury is the ability to dream, Blazy has shown us that dreaming can also happen on the ride downtown on the 6 train.
