Chanel is the only fashion house whose founder’s ideas are still worn by millions of people who have never owned a piece of it: the little black dress, the tweed suit, the quilted bag, jersey for women, costume pearls. Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel (1883–1971) built the house from a Paris hat shop in 1910. Karl Lagerfeld, who took over in 1983, turned it into the world’s most spectacular runway, staging shows inside a rocket launch, a supermarket and an iceberg. After him came Virginie Viard and, from 2025, Matthieu Blazy. This guide covers the defining collections of each era and links to every Chanel show we have reviewed.
Chanel at a glance
| Founded | 1910, as a millinery shop at 21 rue Cambon, Paris |
| Founder | Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, 1883–1971 |
| Home | 31 rue Cambon, Paris, since 1918 |
| Designers | Coco Chanel (1910–1971), Karl Lagerfeld (1983–2019), Virginie Viard (2019–2024), Matthieu Blazy (2025–present) |
| Collections a year | Ready-to-wear (2), haute couture (2), Cruise, and Métiers d’Art |
| Signatures | Tweed suit, little black dress, 2.55 quilted bag, two-tone slingback, camellia, pearls, interlocking CCs |
| Owned by | The Wertheimer family, privately |
Timeline: the house of Chanel
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1910 | Opens a hat shop at 21 rue Cambon |
| 1913–1915 | Boutiques in Deauville and Biarritz; jersey clothes for women |
| 1921 | Launches Chanel No. 5 |
| 1926 | American Vogue calls her little black dress “Chanel’s Ford” |
| 1939 | Closes her couture house at the start of the Second World War |
| 1954 | Comeback collection at 71, with the tweed suit that defines the house |
| 1955 | The 2.55 quilted bag, named for its date, February 1955 |
| 1971 | Coco Chanel dies at the Ritz, Paris |
| 1983 | Karl Lagerfeld shows his first Chanel couture collection |
| 2002 | First Métiers d’Art show, celebrating Chanel’s specialist workshops |
| 2019 | Lagerfeld dies in February; Virginie Viard succeeds him |
| 2024 | Viard leaves in June |
| 2025 | Matthieu Blazy shows his first collection, Spring 2026, in October |
Every Chanel collection we have reviewed
Karl Lagerfeld, 1983–2019
| Season | Our take | Ayerhs review |
|---|---|---|
| Couture Spring 1993 | Chanel’s Golden Age Redux | Read |
| Spring 1995 | Flirt It Up | Read |
| Couture Fall 1996 | Chandeliers Reimagined | Read |
| Couture Fall 2005 | Hidden Treasures | Read |
| Fall 2010 | Arctic Adventures | Read |
| Couture Fall 2011 | Les Allures | Read |
| Couture Spring 2012 | A Chic Takeoff | Read |
| Spring 2012 | Corals & Calm Cheers | Read |
| Pre-Fall 2012 | The Illusion of India | Read |
| Couture Fall 2012 | Beyond Vintage | Read |
| Couture Fall 2013 | Tweed Transformed | Read |
| Couture Spring 2014 | Ethereal Meets Edgy | Read |
| Fall 2014 | To Market, To Market (the supermarket) | Read |
| Couture Spring 2015 | Botanical Bonanza | Read |
| Couture Fall 2015 | A Royal Flush | Read |
| Couture Spring 2016 | Green Veneer | Read |
| Fall 2016 | Adding Flair to Fall | Read |
| Couture Fall 2016 | Behind the Mystique | Read |
| Couture Spring 2017 | Sparkles, Feathers & Glamour | Read |
| Couture Spring 2018 | Blossoming Garden of Dreams | Read |
| Spring 2019 | Chanel by the Sea | Read |
| Fall 2019 | Winter Wonderland (his last) | Read |
Virginie Viard, 2019–2024
| Season | Our take | Ayerhs review |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | Free, Feminine and Feebly Fabulous | Read |
| Cruise 2021 | A Chanel Tragedy | Read |
| Her best | The best Chanel collection by Virginie Viard | Read |
| Spring 2025 | Studio collection after Viard’s exit | Read |
| Fall 2025 | A Final Bow Before Change | Read |
| Couture Fall 2025 | The last studio couture | Read |
Matthieu Blazy, 2025–present
| Season | Our take | Ayerhs review |
|---|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | The second life it deserves | Read |
| Couture Spring 2026 | Chanel, my love | Read |
| Fall 2026 | Falling in love with Chanel again | Read |
| Resort 2027 | Chanel finally feels alive again | Read |
The 6 collections that defined Chanel
1. The 1954 comeback
- What happened: At 71, after 15 years away, Coco Chanel reopened with soft tweed suits, braid-trimmed jackets and easy skirts.
- Why it mattered: Paris critics sneered; American women bought it. The Chanel suit became the uniform of modern elegance. See A Brief History of the Iconic Chanel Suit.
2. Lagerfeld’s 1990s
- What happened: Logos, chains, micro-tweeds and surfboards, worn by Claudia Schiffer, Linda Evangelista and Naomi Campbell.
- Why it mattered: Karl made a dusty house the most wanted name of the supermodel era. Read 7 iconic collections from 90s Chanel and 90s Chanel: the most iconic runway moments.
3. Couture Fall 1996: chandeliers
- What happened: Embroidered couture inspired by the light and crystal of the Paris salon.
- Why it mattered: Proof that Lagerfeld’s Chanel couture rivalled anything in Paris. Read our review.
4. Fall 2010: the iceberg
- What happened: A giant iceberg, shipped in from Sweden, melted inside the Grand Palais while models walked in furry boots and shaggy tweeds.
- Why it mattered: The start of Lagerfeld’s era of mega-sets. Read our review.
5. Fall 2014: the supermarket
- What happened: The Grand Palais became the “Chanel Shopping Center”, stocked with Chanel-branded groceries, and guests raided the shelves afterwards.
- Why it mattered: Instagram-era spectacle at its sharpest, and a joke about luxury itself. Read our review.
6. Spring 2026: Matthieu Blazy’s debut
- What happened: The former Bottega Veneta designer’s first Chanel show, in October 2025.
- Why it mattered: It felt like the house waking up after a quiet few years. Read our review.
How to spot a Chanel: signature codes
| Signature | Introduced | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Jersey | 1910s | Soft knit, once only for underwear, made into day clothes |
| Chanel No. 5 | 1921 | The best-known perfume in the world |
| Little black dress | 1926 | Simple, short and black, worn by everyone |
| Tweed suit | 1954 | Boxy collarless jacket, braid trim, gold buttons, chain-weighted hem |
| 2.55 bag | 1955 | Quilted leather, chain strap |
| Two-tone slingback | 1957 | Beige with a black toe cap |
| Camellia and pearls | Coco’s own style | Real and costume pearls, piled on |
Keep reading on Ayerhs
- Karl Lagerfeld, Show by Show – the collections that built a legend
- Coco Chanel: the complete guide · Karl Lagerfeld: the complete guide
- The A–Z of Chanel · A–Z of Coco Chanel
- Top 25 Chanel wedding dresses by Karl Lagerfeld
- The Evolution of the Little Black Dress
Chanel collections: FAQ
How many collections does Chanel show a year?
Six: two ready-to-wear, two haute couture, Cruise, and Métiers d’Art, which celebrates the specialist workshops Chanel owns.
What was Karl Lagerfeld’s last Chanel collection?
Fall 2019, shown in March 2019, weeks after his death, inside a snowy Alpine village built in the Grand Palais.
Who is Chanel’s designer now?
Matthieu Blazy, formerly of Bottega Veneta, who showed his first Chanel collection in October 2025.
What are Chanel’s most famous designs?
The tweed suit, the little black dress, the 2.55 bag, the two-tone slingback and Chanel No. 5.
Sources: Chanel; Palais Galliera, Gabrielle Chanel: Fashion Manifesto; Dazed; Sleek; Ayerhs archive reviews.
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