The days of showy couture creations so opulent, heavy and stiff that they are impossible to sit down in are long gone, with “lighten up” among the overriding messages of Paris Couture Week. Leading the way, Chanel took its invited guests to the “Cambon Club” in the Grand Palais. The décor, with its minimalist Space Age show set and soft gray leather seating, perfectly complemented the collection’s futurist Sixties vibe.
A vast glittery white and silver cylindrical wall slid open to reveal a double staircase with in its midst a full orchestra led by bearded crooner Sébastien Tellier, seated at a piano clad in a peace-and-love tie-dye t-shirt. The models, two-by-two, skipped down the steps looking as light as air, shod in couture sneakers (for the second time this week, after Dior), this time produced by master cobbler Massero, with a 3,000-euro price tag. Accessorized with fanny packs and knee and elbow pads, the opening sporty looks were built from three parts—a bolero, corseted body and belled skirt—in matching fabric, such a white floral lace or flecked tweed, while sculptural dresses with patch pockets offered a contemporary spin on the hourglass silhouette.
Spanning lace, pastel rainbow stripes, feather patchworks and iridescent sequins, the finishes were ultra feminine, with transparency and shine adding to the light, young-at-heart mood. One cheeky sheer drop-waist organza shift with a feather skirt even revealed a hint of bottom cleavage.
The evening section was particularly enchanting with explosions of tulle, sequins and beetle-hued metallic feathers contrasting with long pale creations in opalescent hues. A floor-length white gown danced with all-over ostrich feathers in another moment of sweetness in this fresh, fast-paced collection that played out like a carefree lesson in modernity, climaxing with a modern-day bride—Cara Delevingne—in a sheer sparkly white gown, thick strokes of silver eyeliner and a feather headdress. With Karl Lagerfeld’s young godson Hudson Kroenig holding the train, this was all about the next generation of couture clients.
