Chanel closes Paris Fashion Week with a nod to mod styling
By Maria D. Valderrama
Paris, Mar 7 (EFE).- Chanel closed Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday with an homage to the swinging sixties in a show that saw models walk the runway sporting long coats, flares and monochrome knits.
For Virginia Viard’s Fall-Winter 2023/24 collection, models paraded along a circular catwalk in mostly black and white outfits around a giant white camellia flower, an emblem of the fashion house, which was lit up in an array of colors.
The luxury brand reinterpreted its iconic tweed jacket as mini dresses, high-waisted a-line mini skirts, bermuda shorts and tabards paired with black slingback heels and knee-high boots.
Chanel’s latest ‘It’ girl Nana Komatsun showcased one of the key looks in a teaser film ahead of the runway show wearing wide flares in “washed faille embroidered with big petals” with a fine knit floral jumper, the Chanel team said.
The striking footage was inspired by the 1966 satire “Who are you, Polly Maggoo?” directed by the American photographer William Klein, and starring real-life 60s model Dorothy McGowan.
Komatsun’s hair was styled with straight bangs and sculpted ends, and her graphic eye makeup emulated the aesthetic that McGowan and other actresses like Anna Karina made fashionable during the era.
On the runway, there was no room for color. Black and white prevailed, except for a dusty pink co-ord set featuring a sequin skirt, and a few other tweed co-ords in a cherry pink.
The Fall-Winter Chanel silhouette largely showcased a nipped-in waist accentuated with wide-cut pants paired with figure-hugging knits and tailored jackets.
Most looks were accessorized with white lace tights, statement earrings and slick and simple hair styles.
The show’s finale saw a glittering offering of outfits in metallic fabrics for the fashion house’s evening wear.
A host of celebrities were spotted in the frow, including Penélope Cruz, South Korean K Pop superstar Jennie Kim and Canadian actress Whitney Peak, the new face of Coco Mademoiselle perfume.
As has been customary since Viard took the reins of the Chanel brand, following the death of icon Karl Lagerfeld who led the label for 30 years until 2019, the show was a minimalist and somber affair with stripped-back accessories and stage decor.
Viard’s approach echoes the wider trends spotted across the season’s catwalks in Milan and Paris.
Despite the shift from Lagerfeld’s flamboyant flare to Viard’s modern minimalism, Chanel sales, which rely heavily on its well-known padded leather bags and tweed jackets, exceeded $15 billion in 2022, with a net profit of $4 billion.EFE
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