As Chanel presented a surreal “zoo” at Paris Fashion Week, art and fashion combined. Designer Virginie Viard teamed up with artist Xavier Veilhan, using Coco Chanel’s apartment’s bestiary as inspiration for the show’s animal sculptures.
The creatures, made of wood, paper and cardboard, were monochrome, but the Chanel collection shimmered with colour and sparkles.
Chanel’s Animal Parade
The show was watched by a star-studded front row, including Marion Cotillard, Tilda Swinton, G-Dragon and Vanessa Paradis, as the massive animals paraded down the runway in the round.
The ceiling was adorned with large geometric discs. Veilhan aimed to evoke the changing relationship between animals and society.
A standout moment at Chanel’s Paris Fashion Week show was a model emerging from a giant bird with a large beak and wooden plumes.
This inspired awe among guests, who dubbed it the “Trojan chick.” The collection had a less direct connection to the animal theme, featuring coat dresses, tunics, pet dog embroideries, and equestrian styles.
The riding jacket was a key piece, paired with miniskirts and skorts. Quirky details like long gloves, bow ties and boots with lace-ups were present but sometimes felt out of place.
The collection shone with brocade, sequins, and gleaming silks.
Armani Prive’s Circus
A silver fish-like gown shimmered with thousands of sequins and a black, white and gold silk breast.
Another dress was a textured bell skirt with white silk layers resembling a shell or cloud. At Giorgio Armani’s show at the Garde Républicaine, guests had to wait outside in the cold due to a late start.
Michelle Yeoh, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy and Juliette Binoche, who dodged questions about playing Coco Chanel in a new series, walked down a path of romantic lanterns to support the designer and his support of artists.
After the media subsided, guests sat by a harlequin-lined stage before a playful collection.
The show began with silk bolero jackets inspired by the 1980s, featuring lozenges in 3D relief on jackets and a courtly ruff.
The collection featured meticulous embroideries on slinky A-line and body-hugging silhouettes.
However, with too many styles and shapes, the collection was hard to define, and at times, the insistence on structure detracted from the garments, such as a creased panelled gown. Nevertheless, the collection was dazzling and lively.
Alexis Mabille’s Color
French designer Alexis Mabille’s couture collection was a fusion of Greek draping and South Asian-inspired colours and fabrics.
It featured soft, flowing silk garments with longer silhouettes, adorned with bejewelled flowers and draped scarves.
A bottle green gown with a Grecian waistband and a simple cerulean blue gown was highlighted, though not all pieces were successful, such as a blue hooded gown with confusing satin lapels and a misplaced belt.
Stephane Rolland Brings Glamour to the Runway
Before the show, guests were treated to a screening of “Black Orpheus,” a 1959 Brazilian film that won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. The film was set against the backdrop of a favela during Carnival time, but Rolland was more focused on the glamorous aspects of the celebration than the poverty of the setting.
The collection was highly stylized and haute, featuring black and white gowns with extravagant fabric details. One standout look was a three-dimensional mini gown with a skirt cut on the bias, which created a dramatic wave from the hip.
Rolland played with the contrast between bare skin and clean, flowing fabric, incorporating plunging necklines, split skirts, and cut-out shoulders. The result was a highly sculptural, ballroom-inspired collection with a dramatic flair.
The couture collections showcased diverse styles and techniques, each designed to make a statement and captivate the audience.
From the intricate beading and embroidery of Armani Prive’s Circus to the flowing silks and Grecian draping of Alexis Mabille’s colour and the highly stylized, Haute glamour of Stephane Rolland’s ballroom-inspired pieces, the designers showed their mastery of the art of fashion and left guests in awe.
These collections serve as a testament to the timeless appeal of couture and its enduring influence on the fashion world.
