What do the cities of Seoul and New York have in common? At night, both become seas of lights, digital screens, and illuminated towers. Seoul’s neon signs and LED displays in areas like Hongdae and Gangnam feel akin to that of New York’s Times Square. Culture and modernity are constantly in flux in both cities—Seoul places modern skyscrapers amongst temples and traditional palaces, while New York’s metropolitan landscapes are a mixture of historical brownstones and floor-to-ceiling glass panels. On top of these similarities, they now share the distinction of having hosted Matthieu Blazy’s first Métiers d’Art show—a collection that is already proving to be one for the books. This month saw Seoul play host to a staging of the Chanel Métiers d’Art fashion show that carried the same electric energy as its original New York presentation, while weaving in cultural nuances unique to this latest iteration in true Blazy fashion.
Take a look below at Vogue Singapore’s key highlights from the Chanel Métiers d’Art fashion show in Seoul.
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The show was held at the soon-to-open Centre Pompidou Hanwha Seoul
Designed by architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte, the Centre Pompidou Hanwha Seoul (slated to open in June 2026) spans more than 10,000 square metres over four levels. The existing structure, which previously housed an aquarium, has been redesigned to allow natural light to seep into the compound with ease.
The collection’s looks, first shown in New York, took on a new cultural and geographical edge when shown in Korea. A red sequinned dress paired with a hulking King Kong-esque jacket called to mind the nightlife of Itaewon, yet could just as easily belong in a Cindy Sherman tableau. The Clark Kent-inspired look felt destined for the streets of Seongsu while carrying the graphic wit of pop art. Elsewhere, leather biker jackets layered over cheetah-print shirts evoked the underground music scene of Mullae-dong, while echoing the hyper-masculine allure of Tom of Finland’s art.
It was apt that the show space housed works from The Cubists: Inventing Modern Vision, the exhibition that the Korean Centre Pompidou will debut with. The layered personalities in Blazy’s collection echoed aptly the many facets and perspectives of the cubist art movement.
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Matthieu Blazy opened and closed the show with Korean supers
Blazy rejigged the order of the show just for Seoul, with Korean model Hyunji Shin opening it together with Bhavita Mandava. As a prelude, a short film was unveiled showing Mandava and Shin walking into the Centre Pompidou Hanwha Seoul—a mirror to the start of the New York show where Mandava was seen entering the subway station. The show also closed with two Korean supermodels representing runway excellence: a currently pregnant Park Soojoo, and a glowing Sora Choi.
In a post-show sharing with the press, Blazy said that Shin, Park and Choi were models that he has been working with for a long time, even pre-Chanel, which made this a joyous and momentous occasion to celebrate these relationships. He also pointed out endearingly that it has been such an honour to see these women and frequent collaborators evolve into who they have now become, adding a heartwarming and rather sweet moment to the show itself.
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It's the city's second Métiers d’Art showing
The first time Chanel took its Métiers d’Art collection on the road in 2018/2019, it was presented in Seoul within the compounds of S Factory in Seongdong district. Then, the house transformed the venue into an ancient Egypt setting with a sandy runway, and a black and gold ambience. This time, the set design was kept minimal and rooted in reality, with the artworks in the Centre Pompidou Hanwha Seoul as the backdrop.
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The show's guest list was a celebration of Korean talent
Aside from ambassadors like G-Dragon and Jennie, friends of the house DJ Peggy Gou, animation director Maggie Kang, ballerina Sue Jin Kang, speed skater Gillii Kim, snowboarder Chloe Kim, and climber Jain Kim also attended the show, celebrating talents from all disciplines and mediums within Seoul.
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There was an energetic after-party with a special guest performance
Unbeknownst even to us, Jennie put on a surprise performance at the after-party later that evening. Dressed head-to-toe in Chanel, she performed hit tracks including ‘Handlebars’ and ‘Like Jennie’, alongside an unreleased song that sent the crowd into a frenzy. The electrifying set was followed by Peggy Gou, who kept the energy going with her signature enigmatic and groove-laden tunes.
