Karl Lagerfeld triumphed once again, staging a sunset Chanel couture show that roared–pun intended–with power, energy and some fabulous clothes. The proof was in the pudding, you could say, considering that a stunning 8-ton, 40-foot-tall golden lion, its paw perched on an enormous pearl, stood gallantly beneath the Grand Palais glass dome. Turns out Coco was a Leo. Go figure.
The most obvious missing entity from the show? Long evening gowns. But that was done on purpose. “In the Twenties they wore short for evening,” Lagerfeld offered. Out came a spiffy collection of tweeds redone in new proportions (think shrunken, short, short sleeve jackets with an overwhelming amount of chains, pearls and stones piled on). But it was at night where Lagerfeld, once again, succeeded. The romantic trapeze cocktail numbers were an utter delight and even a it of a throwback to his earlier design days. The last few looks, paired with individual pairs of exquisitely embellished boots to match each outfit, were a testament to the house’s masterful couture skills: the Indian- and baroque-accents stunned, even more so an incredible dress handmade entirely of pearls.
Least favorite Chanel Haute Couture show in years; I found the proportions on some of the sleeves bulky and just out right unflattering. Though the collection had continuity in the shapes of the dresses, the colors and fabrics felt mismatched and ill planned. I seriously had a “wtf?” moment more than a few times looking through the collection.
This is one of those times when a “But it’s Chanel Haute Couture” doesnt cut it for me. First those laughable chewbaca suits for fall and now this? What’s with all the camp and faux creatures on the runway?