“Chanel brings out emotions in me that I use for inspiration, collection after collection. My mission is to find new ways to tell its most beautiful stories.” – Virginie Viard
Chanel presented their highly anticipated Haute Couture collection today at the Grand Palais in Paris, centring around one instantly recognizable detail of the jacket, The Button. Following the teaser film by pgLang, written and directed by Dave Free and scored by Kendrick Lamar, the show began with a giant replica of a Chanel button dramatically descending down with actress and house ambassador Margaret Qualley accessorizing the opening look with an unexpected infectious grin.
Perhaps an overlooked detail to most, buttons were at one time revolutionary for women, treated with the utmost respect by Gabrielle Chanel, allowing them to move freely with ease. The collection was an ethereal, graceful dance of tulle, lace, pleates, brocade, and leotard inspired by ballet and dance that married fashion, music, theatre and painting into physical poetry. Celebrating the wonderment and joy of dress up, key looks in the collection were transparent short straight skirts, long dresses, tweed jackets, jumpsuits and little embellished embroidered capes, styled with white ballet leotards, black t-strap sandals and the seasons hottest accessory, the hair bow.
“I often think about dance, it’s an important theme at Chanel. The House is close to its institutions, to its choreographers and dancers, and we create costumes for the ballet. I have tried to bring together the power and finesse of bodies and clothes in a very ethereal collection, composed of tulle, ruffles, pleats and lace.”
While pink and white tones enveloped most of the collection, pops of vivid colours were a nod to the Ballets Russes of Léon Bakst and Sergei Diaghilev. Contrast continues to be a theme this season, with structured tweed overlayed deliciously with tulle, another modern nod to the coquette aesthetic.
“For me, dance evokes all these stories and emotions that are close to my heart, and that I take such pleasure in handing down and recounting”