Chanel Pre-Fall 2026 New York

[Lola701]

Their prices are not accessible though. And the new clothes don't look luxurious or flattering. So what do they offer to bring people to spend $8k on a basic jacket?
The chainlink is never visible. It is always inside a jacket.
I think that this new direction has sent traditional customers away to other brands. The question is can they find enough new customers to offset. If you own the Karl rtw you will be appalled by the quality after LN started. This is the real "if you know, you know."

Hmm…
Maybe let’s talk with a bit more nuance.
From the talks I had with my S.A. is that for the most part the general sentiment is curiosity (in all the Parisian stores so far and internationally).
They saw the reaction of social media but they can’t really make nothing out of it because it doesn’t really have an impact considering that the collection hasn’t hit the floor and that the pre-orders are good. And while some clients, generally tourist are showing some concerns they seems positive.

She also reminded me that the brand’s collections in recent years weren’t met always favoribly but there was a resilience in the clientele and also a large offer in stores.

She also said to me that for all the people who slightly went away from the brand during the Virginie era, there were clients still coming for classic tweed suits and things that were more professional friendly.

Also about something that is suspected about Couture, they expanded during Virginie’s by opening the archives for reproduction, which is something Karl wasn’t necessarily fan of.

And she said to me finally that Matthieu seems to be very interested in what is going one « over here » (in stores).

So really I don’t believe the « Chanel clients are going to fly to another brand in mass ».
I have never found another replacement for Chanel. I have never went elsewhere to buy a « Chanel version » of something. But they have the opportunity to expand in reality. A lot of women can find themselves buying Chanel despite having the money and never been interested before.

I must say that I was confused by the little Christmas accessories collection in introduction. I saw some people buying it. It’s fine but I don’t understand why they didn’t sent those bags to celebrities or editors.

It’s there in stores, they tells you it’s a teaser but they don’t know if it will be permanent or not lol.

But they will figure it out. They have a lot of clients events, even more, for 2026.

 

[reese06]

I think they didn't necessarily go to another big luxury brand to replace chanel. Probably went for mid-tier lesser known brands that offers the same craftmanship as the old chanel until Chanel gets it together.

Id like to think Chanel rtw clients are very loyal

From what I’ve seen, they don’t actually abandon the brand they just buy less. And “less” is still something like $200k a year instead of $350k. Even when they complain about quality, it rarely turns into a boycotting of the brand. It becomes more selective buying: fewer pieces, more scrutiny.

What keeps them tethered isn’t just the RTW itself, but the relationships, access, and brand perks that come with being a top client. At that level, purchases aren’t purely about liking the clothes, ego, status, and continuity play a huge role. Chanel is part of how they see themselves

@jeremydante Thank you for sharing that. I have to respectfully disagree.

Making Chanel feel welcoming, (I don’t think it was unwelcoming before, possibly unapproachable), isn’t inherently bad, but for me luxury isn’t just about being less obvious or more everyday. Fora fashion house, it’s an about a point of view strong enough to withstand dilution. When the clothes start to feel like “clothes first, Chanel second, that’s decentering the very language that made Chanel Chanel. I will give him some more time though

 

[Caffeine]

@Lola701
My point is similar to the above @reese06 "something like 200k a year instead of 350k" though I do know one girl who is in boycott mode. She is well taken care of by another top tier brand so she doesn't care.
I don't purchase Chanel bags and I rarely buy their costume jewelry so my view doesn't matter.

the relationships, access, and brand perks that come with being a top client. At that level, purchases aren’t purely about liking the clothes, ego, status, and continuity play a huge role. Chanel is part of how they see themselves

Yes there is a group of them for sure.
Ultimately as I said before, it will become a quantitative discussion when the revenue numbers come out. When you have hundreds of vics who downsize their Chanel spending by 43%, it will need more new customers to offset.

 

[Lola701]

@Lola701
My point is similar to the above @reese06 "something like 200k a year instead of 350k" though I do know one girl who is in boycott mode. She is well taken care of by another top tier brand so she doesn't care.
I don't purchase Chanel bags and I rarely buy their costume jewelry so my view doesn't matter.

Yes there is a group of them for sure.
Ultimately as I said before, it will become a quantitative discussion when the revenue numbers come out. When you have hundreds of vics who downsize their Chanel spending by 43%, it will need more new customers to offset.

It matters. Your POV matter.
A lot of people are having opinions on things they don’t purchase so don’t shy away from expressing yours.

The thing about Chanel and a lot of brands in this climate is that, the trend in slight decrease in the luxury fashion market will be a good enough justification if there’s another slip in sales.
A lot of brands will give themselves 1/2 to adapt their retail strategy.

I don’t believe in a miracle trend. People from the industry I know don’t either.

But they S.A. are ready to work. The response was apparently even more positive for the Metiers d’Arts apparently but as always, clients wants key items. The experience in stores is usually more nuanced.