Meet The Shirt Brand Behind Blazy's Chanel

How many shirts do you have in your wardrobe? Not blouses, not shirt dresses, just classic cotton, linen or silk shirts. If the answer’s a small handful (or more), then congratulations — you clearly understand the styling prowess of this simple wardrobe staple. Unless, like me, you’re simply tucking them into jeans or trousers and calling it a day, falling victim to boring shirt styling and doing this fashion find no favours in the process. Really, you (and I) are probably part of the reason why some women’s wardrobes are entirely sans shirts.

And so, Matthieu Blazy’s Spring/Summer 26 Chanel debut — arguably the most talked-about industry moment of 2025 — was not only noteworthy in terms of fashion history (he’s only the fourth creative director of the luxury French fashion house) but also because he put the simple shirt back in the spotlight, challenging its stuffy, dated connotations in the process.

The idea, according to the show notes, was to start with a menswear tradition, a shirt and trousers, as an ode to brand founder Gabrielle Chanel, who was often seen borrowing these pieces from her partner. Yes, the trusty shirt-and-trouser look is still a timeless and chic way to style the staple. Although, of course, Blazy didn’t stop there — it was his debut Chanel show, after all. The shirts got bigger, the details sharper, and the styling decidedly more modern thanks largely to their pairing with statement skirts — attention-grabbing yet entirely fuss-free. The overarching aim? To play with the paradox of masculine and feminine.

Take the cropped blue-and-white pinstripe shirt styled with a feather-like red skirt as one example; a salmon-pink shirt and burgundy skirt (complete with a dainty brooch) as another; or a classic white tuxedo shirt worn with a navy skirt — the latter already at the top of my personal wishlist. All proof that jeans and trousers aren’t the only ways to wear a staple shirt.

What’s perhaps most intriguing about these looks, though, is that they weren’t made solely within the Chanel atelier. In the spirit of both honouring tradition and celebrating French craftsmanship, the shirts featured on the Chanel Spring/Summer 26 runway were created in collaboration with French shirtmaker Charvet, arguably the most if you know, you know brand in fashion circles. The label is so discreet, in fact, that its website lists little more than an address and opening hours. Instead of scrolling through product pages, you’ll need to visit its boutique in Place Vendôme — the oldest establishment in the iconic Parisian square. Although you will now find a small edit available on Net-a-Porter, which makes shopping much easier, if slightly puncturing the air of exclusivity.

Charvet, however, is steeped in history. Founded in 1838, it’s thought to be the world’s first dedicated shirt shop, dressing everyone from royals to heads of state — and, as rumour has it, Gabrielle Chanel herself — making this collaboration all the more nostalgic. Today, little has changed. The brand still welcomes business leaders and celebrities into its six-storey flagship, offering bespoke shirts from over 6,000 fabrics in countless shades.

Yet for Chanel’s Spring/Summer 26 collection, the Charvet collaboration went far beyond classic customisation. As the brand told Business of Fashion, the shirts are crafted from cotton — in poplin, piqué or Panama weaves — and it took nearly 24 design proposals to finalise just three shades: blue pinstripe, white and salmon pink. Each fabric combines three tones of thread to create subtle shifts in light.

But it’s the finishing details that make them unmistakably Chanel: a weighted chain stitched into the hem for structure and drape; proportions adhering to traditional menswear standards for that signature “borrowed from my boyfriend” ease; and a discreet embroidered Chanel motif on the chest. So, expect to see these design details trickle down into shirt trends by next summer. And if you’re tempted to invest in your own forever piece, keep Charvet firmly in mind.