What will happen to CHANEL after Karl Lagerfeld? In February, after the disappearance of the couturier, it was the question that everyone, in the fashion world and outside, was asking, even a bit preoccupied. Now everything has been revealed. CHANEL’s Cruise took place in Paris. Without considering the weight that pre-collections now have for luxury fashion houses, that of CHANEL had a particular meaning, precisely because it marked the debut of Virgin Viard at the head of the 8 billion euros French luxury giant. The response? A tribute to the traditional vision of Lagerfeld, but with a precise personal touch. One example is the setting chosen, the Grand Palais in Paris transformed into a Beaux-Arts style railway station: grandiose, yes, but without the typical excesses of Kaiser Karl. And the collection also confirms it. Viard maintained the complexity of the details for which Lagerfeld was famous, and remembered by the high and rigid white collars (which were present in the dress that closed the show, too), in the two-tone shoes and in the bows – one of his favourite accessories – which served as tops and belts. Lines, however, are freer and cleaner, clothes more minimal. Along with fabrics, in addition to the iconic tweeds and bouclé, combined with structured waxed canvases, Viard also opted for leather, on which she built entire outfits including overalls, coats and wide trousers. The range of bags was also renewed, a strong element for the fashion house, where the designer introduced new elements, such as the handle on the classic quilted bag, and a CHANEL tweed backpack with three external leather pockets on the front. All in CHANEL style, but with something extra.
Photos Vogue and Harper’s’ Bazaar
