#MelangeCouture: Chanel
And never in history has it been so important to be reminded of what true luxury is: hand crafted mastery and being able to put faces to the product.
Out of all of the many sets and backgrounds Karl the Great has featured in the Grand Palais (casinos, paper gardens, supermarkets, airports, icebergs…only to name a few) none have been as authentic, relevant and awe inspiring with what was in store today. The audience had the privilege to venture behind the scenes of what couture really means - not by going to the sacred ateliers on Rue Cambon- but with the atelier coming to them! Literally. All 200 immensely talented Chanel petite mains played as part of the backdrop, candidly constructing new couture with their sewing machines, sketches, cutting tables, roles and roles of legitimate Chanel fabric. And these were no props -everything on “set” was real.
Everything from the real ateliers where the magic happens was made transparent for all to see thus stressing the value and hard work put behind each tailor-made piece. And never in history has it been so important to be reminded of what true luxury is: hand crafted mastery and being able to put faces to the product. It was a heart wrenching moment indeed when Karl made his rounds after the show, not with a super model on his arm- but the true stars of couture who are almost always behind the scenes working away inside the atelier, blurred out by the glare of the limelight shining on the designing superstar. Karl wouldn't be Kaiser Karl without his devoted, gifted team and for him to give them a moment to shine on the world’s stage only shows his true greatness as a person.
The collection was, as one can only expect, spectacular, exhibiting meticulous craftsmanship especially in the floral embroidery, fluid paillettes, and razor sharp tailoring particularly evident in the inaugural suits and outerwear. Autumn looks were demanded and autumn looks were delivered suiting occasions for day and evening wear. A major trend which can be seen the past few days is the oversized shoulder - especially in this collection which gave architectural poise to each piece. Note: the shoulder was never padded- this all has to do with the fine stitching and work of the petite mains organically lifting geometric volume. My favourite look (well one the many which I adored) was Look 44- a sequenced knee length dress with a matching bolero sporting accentuated shoulders. It was angular yet feminine and captured the spirit of joy and surprise (because of the yellow beads and rubies) without being “fou-fou”.
Thank you to you craftswoman and men who literally bring magic to life, turning dreams into reality, and for all the thousands of hours spent creating masterpieces - we salute YOU!
