At the Chanel Cruise 2026-2027 show in Biarritz, many looks made a lasting impression. Paloma Elsesser's head-to-toe bright red ensemble was one of the most photographed of the evening.
A head-to-toe scarlet red knit look
On April 28, 2026, exactly one year after his appointment as artistic director of Chanel, Matthieu Blazy presented his first Cruise collection in Biarritz - the very place where Gabrielle Chanel had opened her fashion house in 1915. A meaningful return to the roots, which attracted a large and diverse array of celebrities, including Paloma Elsesser.
For the occasion, she opted for an all-scarlet ensemble—one of the dominant shades of the Spring/Summer 2026 season, already featured in the Chanel runway show itself. She wore a long-sleeved, V-neck knit top and a matching midi skirt in the same shade of red, paired with a deer-print shaggy bag and two-tone beige and white heels. A total monochrome look, where the color spoke for itself.
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Red, the must-have color of the season
The choice of red is not insignificant in this context. Scarlet red has established itself as one of the defining shades of the spring-summer 2026 season - notably worn by American actress Anne Hathaway on the red carpet of the film "The Devil Wears Prada 2", or in total looks by several guests at the Chanel show that evening.
Paloma Elsesser, Chanel's new official muse
Her presence in Biarritz testifies to her new status as the official face of the house, within the framework of the new era initiated by Matthieu Blazy. Since her beginnings at Chanel, Paloma Elsesser has embodied a vision of fashion that aligns perfectly with the philosophy of Chanel's artistic director: clothes made to be worn, and diverse bodies that inhabit them without hierarchy.
This is not the first time the American model has been associated with Chanel under this direction - but it is perhaps here that she has most clearly imposed her visual identity in the world of the house: a woman who seeks neither to blend in nor to surprise, but simply to exist fully in the piece she wears.
In short, Paloma Elsesser didn't need an evening gown to shine in Biarritz. She simply wore her chosen color as if it were her own, with that quiet confidence that transforms a fashion choice into something self-evident. A lesson in style, but above all, in attitude.
