Say what you will about Karl Lagerfeld, the designer never ceases to amaze. Coming off an over-the-top glam Resort show, the Chanel creative director’s Fall 2011 Haute Couture show was set at the Grand Palais, which was made to resemble the Place Vendome at night. The show, in fact, took place at 10:30 p.m. because Lagerfeld wanted the collection to be seen at night. Fittingly, a replica of Coco Chanel herself was set atop the Place Vendome tower and before the show’s start, guests were invited to sip a Coco Vendome, a mix of vodka, Schweppes, and cane sugar.
Naturally, the front row was packed with everyone from Anna Wintour to Diane Kruger, Alexa Chung, and Elle Fanning, all of whom came to marvel at the stunning creations they will likely show off on the red carpet in the very near future.
Leave it to the Chanel team to make even the most trite looks, like menswear-inspired suiting, appear fresh, modern, and young. Judging by the collection, in fact, it’s all about wide flared bottoms, classic tweeds, and the peplum if Chanel has its way. The piece de resistance, however, was not any one of the classic daywear two-piece looks, the lace cocktail dresses, the suits, or even the delicately embellished evening gowns, it was the light-up cap toe platform Chanel shoes that the models wore as they walked out at the end of the show.
One thing’s for sure, in an age where so many collections seem stale, redundant, and clichéd, Lagerfeld – even after numerable decades in fashion – never ceases to innovate.
Images: Imaxtree.
