Chanel Resort 2016: Heart and Seoul

Oh, East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet- Rudyard Kipling

Nothing could aestethicgally prove this statement more wrong than Chanel’s youngest Resort 2016 collection aptly named: Paris-Seoul. The merger of Korean sophistication and poise with Parisienne nonchalance pumped K(arl)-Pop through our veins leaving us psyched for a colorful, digital, media driven future.

The 15 Must-Knows:

1. The spectacle was held at the renowned Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) designed by Zaha Hadid. The room itself reminded me of the waiting room before the gates of Pop Culture heaven where the POP! emerged from the 2 and 3- dimensional spots were used as seats, lamps, and decoration and were thus influenced by a hyper-minimal interpretation of Willy Wonka’s Land of Candy mixed with Damian Hirst spot paintings. Too far-fetched?  
2. The event coincided with the Met Gala celebrating “China: Through the Looking Glass” similar to last Métiers d’Art show in Salzburg which conflicted with the Victoria’s Secret show. (I would argue, one must always prioritize a Chanel show!)
3. Why Seoul? The pop and youth culture is spreading around the world one Psy song at a time and is influencing art and film to the way we interact with technology. It has quickly risen as the fashion capital of Asia even attracting Chinese and Japanese travelers to it’s shores and is at the forefront in innovative design. And of course… it’s good business. It has engaged in incredible growth and global integration to become a high-tech industrialized economy with a growing upper and upper-middle class.
4. Models were made up looking like manga kewpies with tiny dots below their pupils, big eyes and lips so bright you could possibly see them from space.
5. Hair was pulled back and covered by "hats" of braided black hair, a reference to the Korean tonsorial tradition. For many, this was mistaken as a tribute to Minnie Mouse of Princess Leia…
6. Class tweed ensembles wove Korean characters for "Chanel," and "Cambon" into a swirling pattern.
7. The eye-catching print of the collection was the bright and busy motif of colored intersecting patchwork, which is a technique, Lagerfeld explained, is only found in Korea.
8. Mother-of-pearl embroidery stitched on a black wrap dress was a reference to the decoration of traditional Korean wedding chests.
9. The West’s interpretation of K-Pop’s sometimes bizarre, artificial, hyper-energetic over the top culture inspired the synthetic colors, the wide patent pants (the wider the better, also seen on men), and turquoise lace culottes.
10. The collection lacked on accessories as the brand wants to emphasize the clothing to the easter market, but of course bags looking like pagoda were present. (Karl never refuses a bit of irony)
11. The hanbok’ dress, a woman’s garment from the Korean peninsula influenced the silhouette of many dresses and skirts, in particular the masterpiece of the finale- with a high empire like waist.
12. The collection burst with tangy oranges and corals, fuchsias, violets, and cooling celadons and mint greens, which bled into signature tweeds and textured cotton, as well as wispy fabrics including linen, organza, shantung and tulle.
13. Of course there were pleated miniskirts and knee-length shorts reminding us of Korean school children uniforms.
14. Collars were shown as flat, notched and folded contributing lifting the spirit of the tweed suit.
15. As the venue foreshadowed, geometric design remained prominent with colored mathematical patchworks and rigid stripes balanced with delicate florals emphasizing traditional asian organic beauty and sophistication.