What comes to mind when you think of a New York subway station? Sweaty commuters? Questionable hygiene? That one viral video of a rat carrying a slice of pizza? It’s probably not Chanel’s Métiers d’Art show, the French maison’s annual celebration of high craft, and a “declaration of love to the artisans who contribute to the Chanel collections all year round.” Despite this, that’s exactly where Matthieu Blazy decided to unveil his second-ever collection for the house, bringing together an A-list frow beneath the streets of New York. Scroll on for everything that went down at yesterday’s show.

THE LOCATION WAS A TRIBUTE TO SUBTERRANEAN STYLE

For its previous Métiers d’Art shows, Chanel has taken guests as far and wide as Hangzhou in China, Dakar in Senegal and Manchester’s Northern Quarter. For 2026, the French maison found its energy in the Big Apple, transporting the work of its in-house artisans to a subterranean metro station. Though it might not seem like the natural home of high craft, Blazy explained in show notes that “the New York subway belongs to all. Everyone uses it: there are students and gamechangers; statesmen and teenagers.” For the newly-instated creative director, the New York subway provides an endless wealth of creative inspiration, a place full of “enigmatic yet wonderful encounters”, where everyone “has somewhere to go and each is unique in what they wear.”

NOT EVERYONE WAS INVITED

Despite Blazy commenting backstage that “everyone is invited,” the show’s guestlist featured a select bunch of fashion press, influencers and famous faces. After he was announced as the brand’s newest ambassador over the weekend, A$AP Rocky sat front, alongside Margaret Qualley, Tilda Swinton, Kristen Stewart, Solange, G. Dragon, Linda Evangelista, Riley Keough – and even Jon Bon Jovi and Martin Scorsese.

THE COLLECTION WAS A REMIX OF NY ARCHETYPES

While remaining inherently Chanel, each look resembled a different character, building an eclectic mix of figures you might see on the subway. There was the 70s journalist rushing to meet her deadline; the 80s businesswoman on her way to meet a client for lunch; the excited tourist donning her “I HEART NEW YORK” t-shirt; the elegant older woman en route to the opera; and even Clark Kent, with Superman’s recognisable emblem peaking out from behind a boxy power suit. The looks were consistent in their inconsistency: there was no one theme, season, era or shape, only the chaos of the underground that tied them all together. “I like the idea of doing a show where nothing is linear,” said Blazy backstage, “I wanted to create a kind of happenstance – what we see every morning when we go to work and you don’t know what’s gonna be at the corner. It’s directly playful, this show.”

ACCESSORIES TO MAKE YOU PURR

Animals were a common theme throughout the collection, whether it was a cat’s head atop a pillbox hat, leopard print two pieces, or beaded watercolour fish prints; Chanel clearly looked to its customers’ pets for inspiration. “You have two accessories in New York: a dog and a coffee cup,” said Blazy, explaining the repeated dog patterns and coffee cup handbags. Thankfully, there were no rats during this subway journey. Blue velvet gowns and injections of candy apple red offset the dull grey of the train and its resting place; meanwhile, details paid tribute to the city itself – a Big Apple handbag, for instance, or a skirt that followed the shape of the skyline. If the point of the Metiers D’Art show is to showcase the skill and precision of the house artisans, then Blazy and his team delivered on every front. Then again, we’d expect no less of the world’s most famous fashion house.