Carolyn Chang couldn’t leave Paris without them. “They were exactly what I’ve been looking for: young, unique, and fun-looking ballet flats,” the New York City-based fashion creator says. “A forever statement piece.”
The flats in question were Chanel’s multi-animal-print pony-hair pair from Matthieu Blazy’s Spring 2026 debut collection. The only problem: every editor, It girl, merchandiser, and stylist in town for Paris Fashion Week last month seemed to have the same idea. Chang went to buy the leopard-and Bambi-speckled shoes at the 31 Rue Cambon flagship between runway shows, but “it was a zoo—people were running around like crazy.” She compared the scene less to a luxury shopping experience than to The Purge. According to The New York Times, a woman even grabbed Chanel’s cap-toe pony-hair flats off another woman’s feet.
