Michelle Obama endorsed Matthieu Blazy‘s inaugural Chanel collection at People Inc.’s exclusive event on Wednesday in New York City, while on her “The Look” promotional book tour.
Obama, whose question-and-answer conversation with La La Anthony was introduced by Leah Wyar Romito, People Inc.’s president of entertainment, beauty and style, wore a checked wool pantsuit with a cropped jacket and gold button detailing from the French luxury fashion house’s spring 2026 ready-to-wear collection.
The long-sleeve jacket, which Obama wore open with a white T-shirt beneath, coordinated to the wide-leg, creased trousers in the same wool-checkered pattern. The former first lady of the U.S. also wore a pair of black-and-white color-blocked, square-toe heels.
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As for accessories, Obama wore a pair of white, firework-like earrings from the Chanel collection as well. The entire ensemble was the first look featured in Blazy’s debut collection for the French luxury fashion house, setting a new tone for the storied maison. The designer was appointed as Chanel’s latest creative director in December 2024, taking over from Virginie Viard.
Debuting at Paris Fashion Week in October, Blazy’s fresh take on Chanel began with the exact suit Obama wore at the People Inc. event on Wednesday. “His first look was a checked wool pantsuit with the jacket chopped off. The idea was inspired by founder Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel’s habit of borrowing clothes from her boyfriend Arthur ‘Boy’ Capel,” Joelle Diderich wrote of the look in WWD’s review of the collection.
Blazy was inspired by the “revolution” Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel brought to her eponymous label, per WWD’s review. “She decided for herself what she could be, and she could be both faces of the same coin,” Blazy said. The designer channeled that balance “through silky separates and slithering gowns in a graphic palette of beige, ivory and black, which resonated with the French capital’s celebration of the centenary of Art Deco,” Diderich wrote.
Michelle Obama’s “The Look” features the collaborative effort of the former first lady and her stylist Meredith Koop, chronicling Obama’s fashion throughout her husband, President Barack Obama’s two terms in office from 2008 to 2016.
Obama recently spoke about her relationship with fashion in a special edition of “20/20” with ABC News’ Robin Roberts, coinciding with the book’s release. “You know, style and fashion, and how we show up in the world is an important way that we send a message. What you’re wearing says something about what you care about. It speaks to your background, your culture. So, I really thought about what I wanted to say.”
