5 things to know about Virginie Viard’s first solo Chanel haute couture show
Welcome to the most exclusive book club in the world: on July 2, Paris’s Grand Palais was transformed into a circular library, stuffed full with books and complete with walkways. Taking Mademoiselle Chanel’s library at her 31 Rue Cambon apartment as a reference, the space was arranged as a peaceful living room with elegant sofas, wing chairs, coffee tables, rugs and ornaments, with its shelves presumably stocked with works by Chanel’s favourite authors: Homer, Plato, Virgil, Sophocles, Lucretius, Dante, Montaigne, Cervantes, Madame de Sévigne, Stéphane Mallarmé, and works by authors who were part of her life, such as Jean Cocteau. It radiated serenity, and was, according to Chanel, an invitation to experience the calm procured by reading. The library was also reminiscent of the late Karl Lagerfeld’s home. A voracious reader, he famously had floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. As UK’s editor-in-chief Edward Enninful recalled earlier this year: “Karl had an encyclopaedic mind; I would nod along, but would often have to go and research who the hell he was talking about.”
by Glory Box was the soundtrack to this morning’s show, as “I just want to be a woman” punctured the silence of the Chanel library. The collection certainly felt more feminine when compared with previous seasons; a sentiment that Virginie Viard, artistic director of Chanel, echoed. “I dreamt about a woman with nonchalant elegance and a fluid and free silhouette; everything I like about the Chanel allure,” she said.
Coco Chanel was a fan of Flaubert – and there were multiple outfits on this catwalk that would have appealed to his own Emma Bovary. A character repeatedly seduced by clothing – she is frequently turned by soft leather boots and smart riding habits – she subscribes to Parisian fashion magazines ”seeking in them imaginary assuagements for her personal lusts.” We imagine she would have taken a liking to this velvet number, complete with neat bow.
This was a collection largely devoid of accessories; most looks were simply grounded in flat black patent loafers, while hair was pulled back into fuss-free low ponytails without accoutrement. Against such restraint, the occasional appearance of silver-rimmed reading glasses spoke volumes. The message? Quit fiddling around with contact lenses and cancel that laser eye surgery appointment. Specs are back.
Albeit, fancy ones. Slouchy pyjamas in pale pink pleated satin came embellished with feathers and partnered with a matching robe for black tie events. They were delightful, but if a traditional gown is more to your liking, the full-skirted, one-shouldered ivory number, with a side eruption of pale pink feathers, was one of the prettiest show looks to which to say ”I do.”
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