There may not be any artistic director at Chanel, however there’s nonetheless loads of motion judging by the home’s Ribbon of Life runway present, staged with polished precision in Paris.
Picture Credit: Godfrey Deeny
Introduced contained in the Grand Palais on a cloudy Tuesday, the present marked the ultimate day of the worldwide runway season that started in New York on February 6, setting the stage for a putting show of Chanel’s newest assortment.
Its central connecting theme was the black satin ribbon, which was a lot beloved by founder Coco Chanel. A ribbon was looped round every invitation, then magnified right into a four-meter-wide band that snaked across the mammoth exhibition corridor earlier than spiralling 15 meters excessive. An impressed set design by scenographer Willo Perron.
Later, turning up in white in a semi-abstract print, the ribbon motif was utilized in some hyper-fresh cocktail attire and different appears to be like from a set designed by Chanel’s in-house design staff. The famed Paris home has signed a brand new artistic director, Matthieu Blazy, who begins work this spring and can stage his first assortment for the home in October in the course of the subsequent Paris ready-to-wear season.
Picture Credit: Godfrey Deeny
Regardless of the absence of a artistic director, one needed to love the sense of humour. Even in a large present—that includes some 2,000 visitors, the season’s largest—the standout new equipment had been micro matelassé luggage: tiny, bijoux-padded luggage in metallic silver or black patent leather-based.
Picture Credit: Godfrey Deeny
Picture Credit: Godfrey Deeny
In the meantime, Coco’s obsession with pearls led to all kinds of visible tips: bandanas product of pearls, square-toed footwear with three-inch-thick pearl heels stamped with the CC emblem, and a micro-micro pearl purse that had all the entrance row smiling.
Picture Credit: Godfrey Deeny
The gathering additionally launched some nice new wardrobe concepts. Basic Chanel jackets had been revamped with simply two flap pockets and bejewelled Nehru collars or lower lengthy over miniskirts and topped with white ruffle collars—Catherine de Medici type, as Mademoiselle Chanel most well-liked. Riffing authoritatively on home codes, the gathering included total-look verify wool outfits with matching sleeveless jackets, gloves, ’20s-style lengthy skirts, black-toed footwear, and cloche hats.
Picture Credit: Godfrey Deeny
Holding issues kicky for the night with summary squiggle-print cocktail attire, in addition to totally stylish knit beige-and-black skirts and cardigans. This marked the fifth assortment Chanel offered since Virginie Viard’s departure final spring, and, in reality, each has labored slightly higher. Whoever is quietly operating the studio is clearly no design slouch.
All the things was pushed by a daring soundtrack—from cerebral dance music by Canadian composer Daphni to accommodate music heroes Faithless.
Picture Credit: Godfrey Deeny
A flawless casting, too, with the absolute best opening mannequin, Vittoria Ceretti, in a super-anthracite wool bouclé mini coatdress completed with tulle. The momentum carried via to the grand finale with Mona Tougaard, who swept by in a multi-ruffled column tied at one shoulder with a ribbon. In her hand, a micro band, in a last visible pun.
Subsequent cease: northern Italy, the place Chanel’s subsequent cruise present might be held in late April. Coco would probably have been happy by her model’s outstanding resilience.
