Chanel and men: Is the house launching a men's ready-to-wear line?

The scene is set in December 2016, in a hushed salon at the Ritz in Paris. Chanel is presenting its Métiers d'Art show. Womenswear silhouettes parade by when suddenly, American singer Pharrell Williams, a house ambassador, makes a surprise appearance among the models. He is dressed in a navy tweed coat and a multitude of pearl necklaces, followed by a few other male silhouettes.

The presence of men in a Chanel show was not a first. Baptiste Giabiconi, Karl Lagerfeld's muse, walked the brand's runway several times, notably during the spring/summer 2010 ready-to-wear show. A handful of men's silhouettes were also presented in the 2015/16 Métiers d'Art show. While Chanel's foray into menswear has never gone much further, the French house remains active in the market, developing a very unique strategy.

Pedro Pascal, Jungkook... Chanel's ambassadors

In 1955, the house launched its first men's fragrance with an unequivocal name: Eau de Toilette Pour Monsieur. The range has since expanded beyond fragrance. Watches, eyewear, creams and makeup... Chanel is present in the men's department. To promote these products, it has long relied on ambassadors. The latest include actor Pedro Pascal and singer Jungkook of the South Korean group BTS for its Beauty and Perfumes division. One man among the list of those who have promoted the house has generated more headlines than the others.

In 2012, American actor Brad Pitt appeared in an advertisement for the iconic women's perfume, Chanel N°5. A man for a woman's perfume? The boldness of the move reflects a positioning that transcends gender boundaries, aiming to make Chanel a global brand that appeals to both women and men.

A gender-fluid suit

The question on many professionals' minds today is whether or not Chanel plans to launch a men's ready-to-wear line. While nothing official has been proposed yet, the brand already caters to men, and not just through the beauty segment or with bespoke outfits for the red carpet.

The Chanel womenswear pieces worn by Pharrell Williams (now artistic director of Louis Vuitton's men's lines) at shows and public appearances demonstrated the gender fluidity the brand's clothing can offer. This creative partnership culminated in the launch of an unprecedented unisex capsule collection in 2019. Today, others are following his lead. A$AP Rocky carried a candy-pink Chanel bag at the cruise 2026-2027 show in Biarritz. K-Pop icon G-Dragon has made women's tweed jackets his stylistic signature. Meanwhile, Australian actor Jacob Elordi was spotted wearing a short Chanel jacket with gold buttons from a womenswear collection, identical to a model previously worn by Michelle Obama.

By cultivating this gender-fluid approach, the house recalls that its history began with the same freedom. In 1930, Gabrielle Chanel created her outfits by borrowing from men's clothing, such as trousers and a sailor's shirt. It is this 'boyish' aesthetic that the new artistic director, Matthieu Blazy, revived during his inaugural show in October 2025.

His first silhouette was a grey suit pairing suit trousers with a short jacket with rolled-up sleeves. Men's shirts also made several appearances during the show. These shirts were created in collaboration with Charvet, a historic brand active in the menswear market, which Chanel announced its acquisition last week.

The move could well signal more men's shirts in the womenswear collections. In any case, although no official men's line has been announced, gender fluidity is expected to remain the brand's leitmotif. This is not only because the approach is part of its roots, but also because it meets the demand of Gen Z.

In 2025, the gender-neutral fashion market was valued at 24.70 billion US dollars, according to Fortune Business Insights. It is expected to grow from 26.53 billion US dollars in 2026 to 54.12 billion US dollars by 2034. Although the men's fashion market is larger, it is also a saturated sector. Other well-established brands already offer a benchmark range to an affluent clientele, such as Hermès, Loro Piana, Brunello Cucinelli or Berluti.

Given the potential of gender-neutral fashion, the choice not to create a dedicated men's line also proves to be a formidable weapon against the competition. By refusing to conform to traditional segmentation, the Rue Cambon-based house skilfully avoids a direct and costly confrontation with the already firmly established giants of menswear. Instead of a ready-to-wear line specifically designed for men, Chanel will find it advantageous to continue capitalising on this organic ambiguity. This is a unique way to stand out in the market by transforming its feminine icons into universal pieces, where cut, craftsmanship and style definitively take precedence over gender labels.