December 5, 2019 |
Is there anything more Chanel than Mademoiselle Coco’s flat at 31 Rue Cambon? The Art Deco setting, filled with gold lions and white camellias, pearls and glistening mirrors. This almost mythical space has been reinterpreted throughout the years, in films and photographs, particularly connected to the legend of the designer herself always sitting atop the grand, curved staircase during her prestigious salon shows. Well, the legend was last night’s reality as the House’s Métiers d’Art 2020 show took place within those decadent halls, now recreated within Le Grand Palais for one night only.
“There is a sort of simplicity in going back to Chanel’s ABC. We don’t need to do too much,” Virginie Viard shared in the show notes. When Viard took over from Karl Lagerfeld back in February, she was presented with a challenge of inheriting a house from arguably the best-known designer in the world who she’s been working along for years. But that didn’t really seem like her goal, being the next best-known designer. Instead, she is here to provide us with exactly what we need – Chanel in its purest form, acknowledging the codes of the past and bringing them back by allowing everyone’s fantasy of being French to become just a little bit more true.
For Pre-Fall 2020, that means wearing boxy tweed jackets without anything underneath but only a pearl & crystal belly belt, mixing sweatshirts with ball-gown skirts and introducing full looks of metallic leather or silver sequins to your wardrobe. With each of the Métiers d’Art collection, the focus is on highlighting the craftsmanship of all the Chanel ateliers that are preserving craft in its purest form – including hatmakers at Maison Michel and embroidery experts at Lesage. This season, their skills spoke to a completely new generation, with Viard’s latest collection being more youthful and “approachable” than ever before. Oh, yes this is still a kind of luxury only few can afford, but last night, it was easier than ever to imagine oneself as a Chanel girl.
