What hasn’t been said?

I think at this point, If you follow fashion, or know anything about the world of fashion, then you know that Matthieu Blazy just presented his debut collection at Chanel. I don’t care who you are; if you have eyes that see, then you know it was fantastic. I think the issue in reviewing shows, even a day after they happen, is that everyone’s already said everything.

What is there to offer, what haven’t we heard? Some will try to antagonize for the sake of antagonizing, others will have broken it down to scientific detail, and a third party will spin golden words.

I think I’ll fall more squarely into the third category. I want to talk about what’s been said, what I thought, and what Blazy himself said. Starting with the man of the hour, he said in so many words that he could either go very conservative with this show or treat it like it was his last show. He decided to do the latter. It was joyful, free, very Blazy without feeling old or done. It offered a fresh perspective from a brand with a 115-year history. One point that I saw being made that I loved was the fact that Blazy offers something for every fan of Chanel. There’s something for the matron, the middle-aged, and the mademoiselle. It isn’t trying to exclude anyone. It’s not a radical sweeping away of what Chanel is/was. It’s a reworking, a refashioning.

It’s the best expression of a debut there can be. It’s new but familiar. Different, but only to a degree. Something I didn’t see talked about was Blazy’s ability to capture the punk element of the brand well.

One thing I respected about Virginie Viard was that she delivered on the punk element of the brand. There was always a brand ambassador wearing the garments with an edge that could only be present when worn by the right person.

It sounds stupid and obvious, but we sometimes forget how the wearer informs the clothing and style just as much as the actual piece does. Blazy keeps this punk element alive and well in his debut. Long story long, it’s everything and more. It’s a genius debut from a genius designer