With windmills whirring and a buzz about sustainable energy dominating the pre-show talk, and the Chromatics on stage at the end of the runway, Karl Lagerfeld set the mood at Chanel’s S/S show long before the first outfit even came down the runway. As the most storied of the French houses, Chanel has always been adept at creating an atmosphere for their audience that represents the ethos of the collection itself. Serving as both designer and experience architect, Karl masterfully set the stage for a collection that was focused on the merger of history and sustainability – a subject Lagerfeld (who enters into his 29th year at the house) knows something about.
Purses trapped within what appeared to be hula-hoops, were purposefully attention grabbing pieces, but the majority of the S/S look was ladylike and pretty. A-line shapes worn with oversized pearl accessories and leather gloves were a recurring element, aswere graphic prints that ran the range from reinterpretations of gingham, to an almost cubic pattern done in classic black and white. As always there was plenty of Chanel iconography to love, from the giant logo on swimsuits, tweed suiting and of course plenty of Karl-ified denim. Mix all that in with solar panel dresses and an appealing set of structured bolero jackets and you have the makings of a killer double-c wardrobe.
In a season where other houses are floundering with ill-conceived reinventions, or wildly divergent collections, Chanel’s familiar yet fresh take on things felt comforting. You can always expect the highest level of quality, a certain air of elegance and of course a star-studded front row at a Chanel show. A fact that keeps us riveted each time Karl deigns to show the rest of fashion, just how this whole fashion spectacle thing is done.
Text: Janelle Okwodu
Photos: Stephan Moskovic
