Luxury house CHANEL unveils its Fall Winter 2025.26 Ready to Wear Collection with a focus on scale, movement, and illusion. Presented under the glass roof of the Grand Palais, the show featured a striking installation by scenographer Willo Perron – an oversized black ribbon weaving through the space, setting the tone for a collection that redefines proportions. The Creation Studio experimented with exaggerated lengths, unexpected layering, and sculptural details, reshaping familiar silhouettes into something entirely new.
FALL WINTER 2025.26 WOMENSWEAR
A shrunken tweed jacket in soft shades of blue, pink, and white contrasted with dramatically extended trousers, while an oversized poplin shirt cascaded down to the ankles. A petite black tweed jacket, adorned with signature braid trim and glistening jewel buttons, transformed into a long-line coatdress, embracing an interplay between structure and fluidity. Even a classic cape was reimagined, its hem extending into jacket-like cuffs, blending outerwear and tailoring in a single garment.
House motifs took center stage in amplified proportions. Bows appeared in various interpretations – delicate at collars and cuffs, or multiplied along necklaces, even extending down to the hems of a quilted black down jacket and matching sweatpants. A long, flowing knit ribbon wrapped around a black sweater, finishing in an oversized bow at the shoulder. Jewelry, too, embraced this shift in scale, with heels sculpted from pearls and a cross-body bag mimicking an enlarged pearl necklace, creating an interplay between fantasy and reality.
Layering added depth, turning ensembles into compositions of texture and color. A three-piece grenadine tweed set paired a cropped jacket, lined in vivid red silk, with a wrap skirt over flared trousers. Another look, rich in bronze hues, incorporated a tunic, tailored trousers, and a structured skirt fastened overtop. A sleeveless gilet styled over a high-slit ivory skirt, capped with a mini overlay, exemplified the fluid construction that defined much of the collection.
The contrast between structure and airiness was evident in sheer elements woven throughout. Champagne, black, and white tweed suits were softened by diaphanous capes in illusion tulle. Layering tulle blouses and skirts over structured tailoring allowed for shifting transparencies, altering the perception of each silhouette. In one look, an ecru trouser suit lay beneath an ethereal black tulle ensemble, while another featured a long puffed-sleeve shirt in sheer white fabric enveloping an ecru jacket dress. The play of transparency created a dynamic sense of movement, reinforcing the collection’s theatricality.
Textural experimentation extended to materials, with chiffon reinterpreted as denim and silk manipulated to resemble tweed. A motif of flowing ribbons appeared as prints, while a black organza parka, adorned with sculptural bows, added a touch of lightness to outerwear. Footwear followed suit, with sock-like ankle boots and ruched satin detailing elevating the classic pump into something more intricate.
Chanel envisioned the season with an air of enchantment, balancing poetic craftsmanship with precise detailing and a sense of artistry. Ruff-like detachable collars framed the neck with floral shapes, wool lace trench coats carried delicate fur inlays, and sculptural sweaters featured 3D floral plastrons, adding dimension to soft knits. While embracing theatrical silhouettes alongside the codes of the House, the collection explored movement, scale, and fantasy in a way that felt both daring and deeply rooted in the signature language of Chanel.
