The Review, courtesy of contributor Long Nguyen, co-founder and style director of Flaunt.
PARIS–The Airbus 380 that took its passengers on an imaginary voyage last January–it’s passengers clad in Chanel in all shades of blue–finally landed again this July in the Grand Palais. Over 7,000 white camellias–Chanel’s signature flower–greeted guests. The upper level of the Palais was entirely painted in shades of gray that when combined with stripes of soft pink, light blue and black formed the base of a spectacularly feminine Chanel couture collection called New Vintage.
The familiar skinny pants and jeans worn underneath the tweed skirt suits that were prevalent in the last few collections–made to entice a younger generation and to give Chanel a little street cred– had disappeared. Pants were loose and belted above the waists. The dress dominated–perhaps that was a nod to “vintage” as well, a time when pants were worn strictly by men.
The classic Chanel tweed skirt suits came in a new boxy silhouette or a very tight-fitted version. Two silhouettes for two different types of clientele. Sleeves of jackets hit just above the knuckles and skirts–in tweed woven with crystals–hit just about the knees. Small threads fraying from the raw edges of a pleated chiffon blouse peaked out from the suit, breaking its formality. This is how a woman in her 30’s would wear this Chanel classic today in a more relaxed way.
Of course, this is couture–and the beauty is in the details, the craft.
What seemed like black and white wool tweed of a Henley-shaped jacket was, in fact, made of small sea shells. You could barely discern that the pink patterns underneath sheer black tulle is made made by folding silk in millimeters a way a mille feuille Napoleon is made.
But Chanel couture is never a grand display of wizardry techniques. As I was leaving the show going down the grand staircase, next to me was a woman wearing spring’s look 1 – a mock boat neck short sleeve sky blue dress. I commented on how marvelous she looked and asked what from the fall show would she purchase. “For sure a few of the first ten looks,” she said with hesitation.
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