As Dior takes a pause, J.W. Anderson redesigns, and numerous others explore completely fresh creative redirection, it appears even Haute Couture isn’t safe from the unpredictable fluxes of fashion. Having appointed Matthieu Blazy as Chanel’s new Head of Creative Direction, successor to Virginie Viard who departed just last June, it is sufficient to say anticipation runs rampant as we wait to see his influence come to fruition. That said, despite this change, the Fall/Winter Couture collection officially marks the last contribution of the in-house team before new creative influence is allowed to take form.
As the oldest active house, the sheer time in which the brand has graced the halls of Haute Couture implies there is a reputation to uphold and a simultaneously daunting expectation to deliver. It is not inventive modernity or baroque grandeur that delineate their design, but instead, timeless appreciation of its past and the renowned couturiere who got them here. Intended to explore the essence of the House’s primordial salons, the Salon d’Honneur at the Grand Palais was the consummate choice to reimagine 31 rue Cambon, the heart of Chanel for over a century.
With a history as the pinnacle of Paris Fashion, anticipatory excitement is anything but unusual for the label. It is no surprise that the guest-list would reflect only such prestige. Icon, Anna Wintour may have stepped down from Vogue but clearly has not stepped away from fashion. Naomi Campbell and Alex Consani, although not gracing the runway, definitely did not go unnoticed. Lorde accompanied musical peer Gracie Abrams while renowned actors Kiera Knightley, Kirsten Dunst, Penélope Cruz, Florian Zeller, and Marion Cotillard are just a few who reflected a different side of stardom. Among these faces also sat an eclectic arrangement of influential figures including American filmmaker, George Lucas, Icelandic singer, Laufey, Academy-award winning writer and director, Sofia Coppola, French model and Chanel Ambassador, Caroline de Maigret, American Actor, Tommy Dorfman, musician, James Righton, and many others.
An ornate wooden portico decorated an otherwise unembellished beige background that surrounded the H-shaped runway. Models flitted about the heritage imbued hall adorned in fabrics fully exemplary of the brand. Tweed and boucle, infused with metallic thread, complemented by structural choices indicative of different time periods were prime recollections of the house’s history. Autumnal hues such as ecru, brown, ivory, and black were interrupted only briefly by those of forest green (Look 15) and burgundy (Look 14). From one look that mingled a billowing, see-through shawl overlaying a lace bralette with a thick, bejeweled skirt whose hem evoked 1920s flapper fringe (Look 38), to a military-inspired ensemble paired with clunky black heeled boots (Look 18), we are swept into a time capsule, cascading through a century of Chanel at the pace of which two legs can traverse a runway. An ostrich-feather overcoat enveloped a floor-length, satin-shimmer gown, where eleven miniature rows of hand-placed gems converged into two broader, band-like accents across the bust and lower hip, underscoring the remarkable savoir-faire behind such intricate detail (Look 17).
An “I do” to say “Adieu”
Nearing the end of the show, the arch from which the models had once poured in, began to quiet. The final look, a single wedding gown, emerged. Fistful of wheat in hand, a subtle concentration found in buttons and embroideries throughout the collection, and embellished in an ivory-white ensemble, the model glided through each row of onlookers. A blanket of finely adhered jewels encrusted the length of her torso before gradually fragmenting into the expansion of tulle which flared at the hem. A waist-length veil, supported by a similarly bejeweled headband, offered sheer concealment and soft mystique (Look 46). Following this display, we were granted a brief second glance as the collection re-emerged for its final performance, which concluded as models gathered in choreographed fashion in front of the portico; a stylistic ode to Gabrielle Chanel.
The High Fashion Facade
Ironically, in light of ready-to-wear’s modernized effort to achieve relatability, couture week can actually feel refreshing. Shallow attempts at such spectacle can oft-times translate as tone deaf exploration of lower-class lifestyle, while couture is invigoratingly authentic to the luxury of a fashion house. This opulence, indulged only by the 1%, offers a lavish illusion of life that only those who dance on fashions furthest edge could dare to tempt. This fantastical facade is responsible for the ferocity of its success. Yet, Coco somehow achieved this while also revolutionizing freedom within all women’s fashion. Declaring,'Luxury must remain almost invisible; it must be felt.' She suggests that to wear Chanel is to move with diplomacy, poise, and prestige—and to be recognized for doing so. Such presence isn’t conferred by the garment itself but is a prerequisite for wearing it. You don’t wear Chanel in hopes of becoming such an individual; you wear it because you already are.