Instead of delaying or cancelling their show because of the health crisis, the House of Chanel, headed by Virginie Viard, revealed their Cruise 2021 Collection this past Monday on digital platforms. The fashion house's first ever digital show, Balade en Méditerranée / A Mediterranean Jaunt, brought Capri to Paris. The collection was originally intended to be shown on Capri, but was recreated in Chanel’s Paris photo studio instead.
DANIELA wrote about Virginie Viard's appointment at Chanel in early March (The Woman Behind Chanel: Virginie Viard) and since then, we've been waiting to see the new creative director's debut. That moment has finally arrived, in Paris at the Grand Palais, which was turned into a train station.
We may know little about Karl Lagerfeld’s successor, but Virginie Viard definitely knows everything about Chanel and its values. The new creative director hates being in the spotlight she used to say, but she will be for a while now since her new role marks the first time a female designer is taking the helm of the brand since Gabrielle Chanel herself.
Karl Lagerfeld's decision to transform the Grand Palais in to a formal French garden with climbing roses on trelliage, pergolas and water fountains was a welcome site on these January days. There were layers of ruffled tulle and embellished chiffon in pastel hues, feathery capped sleeves and crystal veils and of course, the traditional Chanel tweed, all ushering in a return to the age of innocence and a feeling of spring in the air ...
Karl Lagerfeld's Chanel Resort 2018 runway show, entitled La Modernité de l’Antiquité, brought ancient Greece to the Grand Palais in Paris. A bust of Venus that sat on the fireplace mantle of Coco Chanel’s Rue Cambon apartment was said to be the inspiration behind the theme. There were Ionic column–heeled gladiator sandals and pottery painted column dresses, and by the end, there were fluttery bias-draped gowns embellished in gold, flowing tresses befitting of Venus, pinned backed by golden headbands made for goddesses ...
THE THEME OF THIS SEASON'S Chanel Spring 2016 Couture collection in Paris was, according to Karl Lagerfeld, eco-conscious serenity, and so the label's signature pale bouclé suits, flowing black satin skirts and stunning dresses strewn with gold paillettes were showcased against a backdrop of lush green gardens and water lily ponds . . . Click through for a glimpse of the collection and 14 of our favourite pieces from the show.