Chanel Cruise Show at Biarritz Art Deco Casino

Matthieu Blazy has unveiled his debut Cruise collection for Chanel in Biarritz, France, drawing a high-profile assembly of actors and musicians to the city’s Art Deco casino on April 28, 2026.

The event attracted a significant crowd of spectators waiting to spot guests entering the venue, according to reporting from WWD.

Celebrity Attendance

The house scheduled two separate shows throughout the day to accommodate its guest list. The morning session included attendees such as Sofia Coppola and Marion Cotillard.

The afternoon show featured a different group of high-profile figures, including A$AP Rocky, Tilda Swinton, Michaela Coel, and Nicole Kidman.

Kidman arrived in the city ahead of the runway presentation, attending a welcome cocktail on April 27, 2026, held at the local covered food market. While posing for photos with locals, the actress expressed her appreciation for the region’s local goods.

I’ve been here before, so this isn’t my first time, and I’ve holidayed here, but it was just so lovely being able to walk into that food hall and see all of that gorgeous cheese and the vegetables and the produce. I wanted to take it all home. I actually want to move here

Nicole Kidman

Kidman, who wore a backless black dress on the terrace, also noted that she had spent time swimming both the night of the cocktail event and the morning of the show.

Creative Direction and Inspiration

Titled SOUS LE SALON LA PLAGE, the collection serves as a tribute to the origins of Gabrielle Chanel’s first collections and her couture house, which began in Biarritz, as reported by Hypebae.

Blazy designed the collection to reflect the beachside lifestyle and free spirit of the city. In the season’s show notes, Blazy described the location as a balance between function and fiction where various social classes and the natural world share the same stage.

Far from the Paris salon, Chanel found in Biarritz different ways of being and seeing, of movement and freedom. She made them her fashion pedestal. It is a place that offers the perfect balance between function and fiction. Among artists, workers, nobility, sailors and the natural world, everyone and everything shared the same stage, living together as a norm. All had a role to play

Matthieu Blazy

The resulting designs blended elements of French workwear and the fiction of the mermaid with references to Chanel’s first black dress. The collection focused on a sun and sea-inspired aesthetic that reimagined beach glamour through a lens of movement and freedom.

Collection Details and Runway

The runway featured a mix of classic Chanel signatures and new, playful interpretations. Key design elements included:

• Signature Chanel tweed alongside chic tailored dresses and skirts.
• Bright contrasting colors and Basque stripes.
• Beachy accessories and oversized totes.
• A styling approach that bridged the gap between poolside attire and Art Deco dressing.

The collection was presented by a cast that included Mona Tougaard and Alex Consani, as well as Bhavitha Mandava, who was introduced as a newly-appointed brand ambassador for the house.