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Chanel Deepens Its Commitment to Australia with First Runway Show in Sydney
Chanel will stage its first runway show in Australia in November, marking a new chapter in the French house's growing commitment to the local market.
Chanel has chosen Sydney to host a second staging of Matthieu Blazy's debut Cruise collection for the house on 5 November 2026. This will be the first time the French house has staged a presentation of this kind in Australia, and the first time any major French luxury house has done so.
From Biarritz to Sydney
This Cruise collection was first presented on 28 April in Biarritz, the Basque coast resort where Gabrielle Chanel opened her first couture house outside Paris in 1915. The choice of Sydney as its second stop is not without logic. Like Biarritz, the city is defined by its coastline, its surf culture and a vibrant creative scene. Chanel has characterised Sydney as "a city distinguished by its spectacular harbour, world-famous surf beaches, and vibrant cultural scene." For a collection the house describes as "resolutely focused on movement and an elsewhere," the fit seems deliberate.
A Market in Focus
The show is the most visible sign yet of Chanel's expanding commitment to Australia. Bruno Pavlovsky, President of Fashion at Chanel, said:
We feel that it’s time now for Chanel to accelerate our development in Australia.
That acceleration has been underway for some time. In 2025, Chanel opened a new Fashion and Watches & Fine Jewellery boutique on Sydney's Market Street, its largest in Australia, designed by long-time collaborator Peter Marino. The two-storey space also houses the first dedicated Watches & Fine Jewellery boutique for the house in the country.
A French Maison with a Taste for Australian Talent
Chanel's ties to Australia extend beyond retail. The house has built a roster of Australian ambassadors including Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. Kidman, whose relationship with the house spans more than two decades, was named a Chanel ambassador ahead of Blazy's debut Paris show. Robbie starred earlier this year in the campaign for the Chanel 25 bag, while Elordi fronts the house's men's fragrance line.
The house has also worked with First Nations models Tatyana Perry, from the Gamulkbun and Kokatha nations and Latahlia Hickling, from the Githabul and Bundjalung peoples, both of whom walked the runway at the Spring/Summer 2026 show at the Grand Palais in Paris. It was the first time two Indigenous Australian women have walked together for a European luxury house, marking a landmark moment for Indigenous representation in global fashion.
Sydney on the Global Fashion Map
Chanel's decision to stage its Cruise show in Sydney is a strong signal of the Australian luxury market's growing significance. The choice of one of fashion's most recognisable names to do so first is likely to be closely watched by others in the industry.
Source: CHANEL
