The iconic fashion house Chanel delivered another dreamy spectacle at its Haute Couture show, presenting an exceptional runway along the River Seine, with the majestic Eiffel Tower and elegant Bateaux Mouches as a distant backdrop.
What young person wouldn’t wish to walk along the banks of the Seine in the misty morning light, carrying a charming basket of flowers and showcasing their dazzling beauty? These wicker baskets evoked the optimism of 1970s France, a time that contrasts with the current turmoil.
While the 4th of July is a big celebration in the United States, this show was a true French affair. From the beginning of the event, the elegant French ambassador for Chanel, Caroline de Maigret, dazzled in an impeccable double-breasted coat and long trousers. She was followed by Italian superstar Vittoria Ceretti, wearing a magnificent anthracite boucle coat, paired with a black semi-transparent skirt and blouse, resembling a movie star en route to a romantic rendezvous in St Germain.
The cobblestones of the runway were painted in shades of pink and purple, colors that were also reflected in the pale pink long wool coats, diagonally striped bubblegum-toned blouses, and a purple-accented tank top, as well as in the artistically inspired peasant blouses. Even the buttons on trouser suits, jackets, and tunics were a charming shade of pink.
The evening ensembles presented in this Autumn/Winter 2023/24 collection were surprisingly youthful and streamlined, often adorned with delicate floral and graphic motifs, showcasing the skills of Chanel’s atelier under the direction of Virginie Viard.
“Playing with opposites and contrasts, with nonchalance and elegance, is like finding yourself on a line between strength and delicacy, which, at Chanel, is what we call allure,” explained Virginie Viard, the creative director of the house, in her program notes.
Guests accessed the show via a ramp that led them past various bouquinistes, the charming bookstalls lining the Seine. Amongst the weathered novels and stories of Les Années Folles or the 1920s era, these stalls also showcased beautiful sketches of De Maigret and other models.
The atmosphere was supremely romantic, carefree, and authentically Parisian. One actress even strolled with her long-haired Labrador named Opium, the pet of Viard’s sister. At the end of the show, Virginie took a long and elegant bow amidst applause, dressed in black trousers and a T-shirt, displaying great self-assuredness.
It takes significant influence to close off a 300-meter section of the Seine and divert all the tourist cruises, but that’s the kind of power Chanel holds in France. Paris respects its great fashion houses so much that it grants them special treatments, as befits their status.
Following a major trend among many other renowned brands, Chanel has decided to move its show outdoors after many years of presenting it indoors. Last Sunday, Alaïa showcased its ready-to-wear show on the Solferino runway, a pedestrian bridge of the new millennium, while Kenzo and Louis Vuitton obtained permission to hold their menswear shows in June on two different bridges: Passerelle Debilly and Pont Neuf, respectively.
In the finale of the Chanel show, models paraded in small groups or pairs, linked arm in arm or hand in hand, as small speedboats sailed close to the Seine’s edge. This show conveyed a beautiful sense of brotherly love expressed with elegance.
All Haute Couture shows culminate with the presentation of the “mariée,” the bride dressed in white. It is significant and reflects China’s growing power and its immense Asian market that Chanel’s mariée is an Asian beauty, in this case, Korean model Shin Hyun-ji. She wore a marvelous white organza dress adorned with fabric petals at the neckline, a true French look from the iconic Parisian fashion house.
