Hot couture! Cool Chanel is the star in sizzling Paris, says LAURA CRAIK

Even if it hadn’t been a broiling 33C in Paris, Chanel‘s haute couture show would still have been the hottest ticket in the fashion world.

So it was no surprise to see the coolest names in showbusiness taking their front row seats – in the latest Chanel, of course.

Sarah Pidgeon, the 29-year-old US star of TV hit Love Story, looked Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy levels of chic in a drop-waisted dress.

And fittingly, Chanel’s newly inked brand ambassador, Gladiator II actor Pedro Pascal, 51, did his best JFK Junior impression in chinos and a striped matelot top draped over a white T-shirt.

Meanwhile, Lupita Nyong’o, 43, who plays Helen of Troy in Christopher Nolan‘s new epic The Odyssey, braved the heat in a floor-length gown thickly embellished with black and yellow sequins – as did Wicked star Michelle Yeoh, 63, in a silver brocade jacket and matching pencil skirt.

Also in attendance was British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith, 30, who made her debut on the front row alongside long-time Chanel muses Vanessa Paradis, 53, and Tilda Swinton, 65. 

They were joined by Elizabeth Debicki, 35, who played Diana, Princess of Wales in The Crown, and American star Teyana Taylor, also 35.

Although the most surprising guest of the day was Catherine Deneuve, 82, the iconic French actress who for years has been a loyal patron of Yves Saint Laurent. 

Elizabeth Debicki , 35, who played Diana, Princess of Wales in The Crown, attended the show

Chanel’s newly inked brand ambassador, Gladiator II actor Pedro Pascal , 51, did his best JFK Junior impression in chinos and a striped matelot top draped over a white T-shirt

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Lupita Nyong’o , 43, who plays Helen of Troy in Christopher Nolan’s new epic The Odyssey, braved the heat in a floor-length gown thickly embellished with black and yellow sequins

Tilda Swinton, 65, was one of the coolest names in showbusiness taking their front row seats

Also in attendance was British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith , 30, who made her debut on the front row

But that’s the Chanel effect: even a lifelong friend of a rival couldn’t resist experiencing her first Chanel show.

Since taking over as artistic director last year, designer Matthieu Blazy, 42, has captured his clients’ imaginations and set the tills on fire, modernising the esteemed French house and churning out must-haves in a way that makes it seem easy.

It’s not easy, of course. Other luxury brands are struggling, which makes Chanel’s recent 2 per cent profit rise – in 2025 overall revenue climbed to $19.3billion (around £14.4billion) – all the more extraordinary. 

For autumn/winter 2026, his sophomore couture collection, Blazy created a fairytale landscape that referenced Jack and the Beanstalk, with vine embroidery creeping up silk skirts, boucle jackets and the heels of shoes. 

Flowers, feathers and fauna adorned almost every surface, showcasing the skills of Chanel’s artisans and ateliers.

Lest the message be lost that couture is art, Chanel emphasised the point by inviting artist Joel Blanc, famous for painting live sporting events, to capture the show as it unfolded.

Which certainly made a change from recording it on a smartphone.