Here in the UK, seaside holidays often consist of fairground rides, sticks of rock, sunburnt skin and the sound of someone winning a prize at a nearby arcade. In France, they do things a little differently. Instead of arcades, they have casinos, and instead of piers, they have five-star hotels, originally built for empresses and royalty. This describes the scene on France’s west coast, in Biarritz, where Matthieu Blazy decided to take us on a trip for his debut Chanel Cruise collection.

THERE WAS SOMETHING FISHY AFOOT

As much as we all love a beach escape, nothing Blazy ever does is random. It was in Biarritz that Coco Chanel became a couturier, opening her first couture house here in 1915. Hosted inside a casino ballroom, the show space looked out over the choppy Bay of Biscay – a hotspot for surfers and mermaids alike, according to Blazy. In the days leading up to the show, the brand posted a series of black and white images teasing the collection, one of which presented us with a Chanel mermaid lounging on the rocks. Today’s collection marks the Belgian designer’s fifth show and first cruise collection for Chanel. It follows last month’s AW26 ready-to-wear show, which also, surprisingly, featured mermaids. 

WHICH WAY TO THE BEACH?

Not even A$AP Rocky can resist a beach holiday. The rapper and Chanel ambassador attended today’s show carrying a bubblegum pink handbag, decorated with a pair of teeny tiny ballet pumps – clearly stolen from baby Rocki’s wardrobe. Mother Mary star Michaela Coel sat next to him, joined by the likes of Chanel veterans Nicole Kidman, Sofia Coppola and Marion Cotillard. Even snow queen Tilda Swinton swapped icy terrains for golden sands and sunshine. 

LOGOMANIA MAKES A COMEBACK

So far, Blazy’s Chanel has been rather sparing when it comes to the double C. Of course, there have been some exceptions – a chunky knit sweater at last December’s Metiers d’Art show reinterpreted Chanel’s logo as the Superman emblem, while mini logos can be seen on jewellery, buttons and the heels of pointed shoes. But if today’s show was anything to go by, Blazy’s understanding of the Cruise customer is that they absolutely love logos – little, large and everywhere in between.

Though we began in demure fashion with two monochromatic looks, our third model entered the space in a vintage swimming cap emblazoned with the Chanel logo, before house ambassador Bhavitha Mandava appeared in a black skirt and blazer set with large white logos stitched into both pieces. From there, the logo appeared as metal belt clasps, knitted onto the front of polos, as a neckline on sweaters, and on skirts, tops and more swimming caps. At one point, it was incorporated into the loud pattern of some colour-blocked silk separates, while the most unabashed use came in the form of an off-the-shoulder dress completely covered by the interlocking logo. Is logomania back? Blazy’s Chanel seems to think so.

BLAZY’S FUTURE GRAILS

Speaking of logos, throughout his 36-year tenure at Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld churned out an inordinate amount of rare, logoed pieces that would go on to become holy grails. From the infamous SS96 micro-bikins, motorcycle helmets of SS02, the giant hula hoop bag of SS13, to boxing gloves, surfboards and more, Lagerfeld’s collections were littered with these iconic products.

In comparison, though he’s been lauded for his new take on Chanel, Blazy’s collections have largely focused on reinventing wardrobe classics, rather than producing these future holy grails. This all changed at today’s Cruise show, when models appeared in the retro logo swimming caps, as well as XL thigh-skimming wading boots, also branded with the double C. The showing was reminiscent of the savvy merchandising Lagerfeld used to oversee, and it all came to a head when Mona Tougaard appeared carrying an enormously large woven beach tote, its comic proportions recalling that hula hoop bag from SS13. For many, this might be the final piece of the puzzle in connecting Blazy’s Chanel to Lagerfeld’s playful past.

MATTHIEU BLA-SEA

From a distance, it was a collection made up of oversized logos and summery pastel hues. But up close, ocean-inspired details were dotted delicately throughout. Small starfishes were embroidered onto hems, while fish blew air bubbles in the shape of the double C. Swimming caps featured a cute mohawk shape, like the spine of a fish. Earrings resembled both shells and gills, and some models wore black, spiked balls on their heads, like poisonous sea urchins. 

COME INTO MY UNDERWATER WORLD

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Chanel show without an obscure soundtrack. This time around, seagulls cawed through the speakers, cut with quotes from Leonardo DiCaprio in The Beach. Then, a welcome sound: Kylie Minogue’s “Come Into My World”. Blazy briefly broke the internet last month when he recreated the song’s music video for his Chanel 25 handbag campaign,  starring Marogt Robbie, and today’s show provided the perfect setting to play it again, as the designer submerged us in his underwater world.