Coocoo for Coco

I scream, you scream, we all scream for Matthieu Blazy!

I don’t believe in queueing to spend your hard-earned money (though I have waited in my share of snaking lines), but I do regret not waiting at Rodeo, on drop day, for Matthieu Blazy‘s debut collection. In hindsight, everything worked out—as it always does—but in the heat of the hunt, I turned feverish. Frothing, even, to track down these particular shoes. They were the sole items (within budget, of course; a crucial distinction) that I wanted from Chanel’s Spring Summer 2026 runway. And the fact that I was this close to finding a pair three times, only to miss the window by half a day each attempt, heightened the yearning.

I missed this Chanel. It was a return to play, à la Karl Lagerfeld, and in veneration of the woman wearing the garments—clothes for her life, not the clothes as her life—just as Coco Chanel herself had intended. Blazy’s first show was the first part of a dissertation on the house’s spirit: his silhouettes paid homage to Coco’s codes, and every detail reflected a deep and considered, almost obsessive, study of her life. It was pure joy and exaltation. This was both a homecoming and fantasy of a future ruled by philocalism.

Blazy’s instant success comes as no surprise, given his time at Bottega Veneta. The near-unanimous frenzy had spread since Paris Fashion Week, and I, too, felt compelled to own a stake in this new chapter. Beyond the investment potential, owning a piece was akin to being a part of fashion history. Or at the very least, a token for reliving the palpable joy felt in that very room and through the screen.

CHANEL Spring Summer 2026: Look 24 + Look 76

For me, it was the shoes that stomped across the runway on Look 24, then again for Look 76. I’m powerless against a mule. A slip-on heel is my favorite style in both comfort and aesthetic—and I knew that in a squared-off shape (slightly tapered, refined from the edgier look at Bottega into a more ladylike proportion for Chanel), this would be better suited for my wider foot shape. (Chanel’s closed-toe heels, however beautiful, are notoriously narrow.) I actually liked that the retail version had a solid black, leather heel: a smart change from the showpiece because the heel is prone to nicks.

The contrasting textures—lambskin, dotted calfhair, patent leather—were definitive elements of Blazy’s first footprint. To me, this shoe alone captured the essence of the collection, and the fact that it sported the (now iconic) mint green was simply delicious. Perhaps in the future I’ll entertain (myself) with an analysis on how the resurgence of seafoam is a reclamation of millennial trends and solace as millennials re-enter another economic downturn. But for now, I was thrilled to see this shade pop up in fashion discourse. Longtime Chanel beauty devotees may recognize the pastel-turquoise in polish form from a 2018 collection: Verde Pastello (No. 590). I was enamored then and though I’m more partial to a neutral nail these days, kept the bottle for reference.

CHANEL Le Vernis Longwear Nail Color in 590 Verde Pastello + 435 Baigneuse

I’m thrilled I did. It reincarnated as Baigneuse (No. 435) in the 2026 Les Beiges Coastal Summer Collection—same tone, just bluer. Verde Pastello is a near-exact match for the Blazy mule, and though the beauty collections aren’t designed in tandem with the shows (to my knowledge), it’s a wonderful accessory if you want to channel a version that teal.

But back to the hunt for the shoe. It was a lucky fourth attempt—a month and a half after drop day—and with help of some very patient Chanel customer care members, that I was able to locate the shoe in Florida. A sales associate texted me, and without a moment’s hesitation, my shoes were packed up and en route.

[Editor’s Note: I’m happy to report that they’re just as comfortable as I imagined them to be. And even more thrilled that I was able to take them for their little outing at a Chanel event, no less.]

.   .   .

xx