The Butterfly Effect, Issue 45
Chanel’s runway Monday morning was a fairy tale unfolding in real time. Matthieu Blazy held out his hand—à la Willy Wonka—and invited us into a magical world—the world of Chanel.
He makes you believe. He makes you hope.
That is the magic of Chanel—of Blazy.
And after a month of shows—and life in between—I was tired. I was bored, honestly. I watched the shows. Some were good, to be sure. But I was at a point where I was watching the coverage primarily via Vogue images. Not the same as watching the runway in motion.
For Chanel? I tuned in.
I wasn’t sorry.
I actually tuned in a couple of minutes late after fixing a website issue. I figured I had time—all the shows run late. I waited almost a half an hour in the “Instagram Waiting Room” for Dior.
Not Chanel. It started on time. I tuned in at Look 6. I was hooked immediately. I gasped out loud as I watched. It wasn’t just about the clothes, except the clothes were fucking fantastic too. It was everything.
The landscape.
The music.
The energy.
The pulse.
The color.
The vibe.
The runway itself? Otherworldly. Models floated across a glossy burled-wood-and-emerald-green floor.Maybe I’m biased. The night before, I had just mood-boarded my future house: burled wood, green, ivory linen, touches of tobacco and terracotta.
And then? I watched Blazy bring it to life.
Granted, I did not imagine illuminated Japanese cranes dotting the skies above, but to see them on his runway? I wanted them, too.
That is the magic of Blazy’s world building. It isn’t just a runway for pretty clothing; although, the clothing is certainly exquisite. Blazy, instead, creates a world, and he allows us in.
Me? While I may not be buying a Chanel ensemble—though I certainly wish I was—I’m stepping into the world:
A bit of bouclé.
A drenching of saturated color—primary colors that I thought that I had abandoned in my childhood Benetton days. Candy-apple red. Clear lapis blue. Snapping bubble-gum pink. Crisp, fresh green.
Fringe—piles of fringe. That fringe-lapelled sweater that’s been resting on its laurels in my closet? She’s coming out to play.
A low-slung waist.
A decorated button.
An unexpected shot of embellishment—Ralph Lauren’s beaded floral motif jeans are suddenly looking quite good…
As he always does, Blazy has injected a little shot of joy, of color, of beauty onto the runway and into the world at large. And after a month of fashion, when I thought I'd seen just about everything, Blazy reminded me why I fell in love with fashion in the first place.
Thank you, Matthieu, for inviting us in.