Before Matthieu: The Direction Chosen by the Atelier

I visited CHANEL’s Spring/Summer 2026 pre-collection. It felt like the last atelier-led collection before Matthieu’s full debut.

What struck me was how much of a “Matthieu-like” sensibility was already present. Around me, what tends to be favored are pieces that do not foreground overt CHANEL codes, leaning instead toward a quieter form of luxury.

Those pieces usually sell out immediately. This time, however, there were many of them, and one could take time to choose. Effortless and timeless. Simple, made to be worn for years, with only a small CHANEL mark.

I do not know whether this was directed. It felt as though the atelier had naturally moved in that direction. I had the sense of witnessing that process.