PARIS (AP) 鈥� Only Chanel would call its legendary Rue Cambon salon 鈥渢oo small鈥� 鈥� then rebuild it, supersized, in a palace.
On Tuesday, as the house marked 110 years of its haute couture 鈥� a century and more of Coco Chanel鈥檚 revolution in how women dress 鈥� it blew up its atelier as a giant set inside the freshly restored Grand Palais, turning intimacy into spectacle for a nature-drenched show at .
Chanel, whose founder banished corsets and reimagined luxury as liberation, showed just how far that legacy stretches 鈥� from the tiny salons of 1915 to its modern colossus.
It was a flex only a handful of luxury giants could pull off 鈥� and perhaps, as one front-row guest suggested, a dazzling distraction as the fashion world counts down to the debut of Chanel's .
Pen茅lope Cruz, Keira Knightley, Naomi Campbell, Kirsten Dunst and the house鈥檚 tightest VIP circle scaled gilded steps, sweating past marble and gold, to enter the reconstructed atelier. The set by Willo Perron was classic Chanel 鈥� intimate yet monumental, Old World yet futuristic.
鈥淚t just felt special,鈥� Campbell said, 鈥渓ike stepping into a memory and something completely new. There鈥檚 warmth, intimacy, nostalgia. Chanel can recreate anything, and it works."
Chanel goes country
More drama unfolded on the runway. This was couture as nature fantasy, filtered through the Chanel prism. Menswear tailoring added swing to sculpted jackets and coatdresses, while mohair suits in deep greens and plums channeled autumn鈥檚 hush. Boucl茅 tweeds mimicked sheepskin; feathers and tweed created illusionary faux fur.
Gold-sprayed wheat ears 鈥� the house symbol of abundance 鈥� were everywhere: stitched into flounces, embroidered on necklines, set on every guest鈥檚 seat. The theme may have been country, but make no mistake: This was as close as Chanel gets to 鈥渞oughing it.鈥�
Technique dazzled at every turn: jewel-buttons, embroidered florals and a finale of lam茅 so luminous it mimicked sunlight on harvest fields. The studio team, holding the fort after Virginie Viard鈥檚 abrupt and unceremonious exit last year, anchored the show in classic codes but played with wit and lightness.
That obsessive handwork matters 鈥� not just for tradition, but for business. Chanel is fashion鈥檚 juggernaut: Privately held, the brand reported $18.7鈥痓illion in revenue for 2024, cementing its status as one of the world鈥檚 most powerful luxury houses. Couture may be the crown, but its influence drives global sales in fragrance, bags and jewelry, making it the envy of rivals.
New era for the luxury giant
Change is always looming at Chanel. For more than 30 years, Karl Lagerfeld transformed the brand from Parisian legend to pop phenomenon, staging ever-grander spectacles at the Grand Palais. , Viard, his longtime deputy, guided Chanel into a softer, more discreet era.
Now the industry is holding its breath for Blazy, a Belgian talent with stints at Margiela, Celine and most recently Bottega Veneta, where he won fans for his blend of innovation and reverence for craft.
Campbell said of Blazy, whom she knows personally: 鈥淗e鈥檚 focused, open-minded 鈥� he鈥檒l bring something special.鈥�
Tuesday鈥檚 show unfolded inside the Grand Palais' newly restored Salon d鈥橦onneur, its gold and stone revealed after a 600-million-euro, multiyear restoration co-funded by Chanel. It鈥檚 more than a venue; it鈥檚 an advertisement of the house鈥檚 power and commitment to Parisian heritage.
Thomas Adamson, The Associated Press
