Chanel’s garden of earthly Couture delights

By

Godfrey Deeny

Published
Jan 24, 2018

Staged in a classical French garden worthy of André Le Nôtre, the latest haute couture collection from Chanel was as airy and light as a daffodil blown away in a sudden gust of wind.

“Light, but of course, because that is what’s best for these heavy times,” quipped Karl Lagerfeld backstage, as he held court with Rita Oro and Ines de la Fressange.
 
One felt transported to the Chateau de Villandry with boxwood shrubs; exact geometric paths; immense fountain; real grass lawn and thousands of fake rose sneaking up green lattices. All built for two 20-minute shows inside the Grand Palais.

Out onto the traditional earthen paths, marched the cast, though in a truly contemporary idea of floral fashion. Their feet clad in micro sequin covered booties with Perspex heels, their heads covered in veils topped by delicate fabric orchids and peonies.
 
The opening models wore classic colorful Chanel tweed suits, though this season cut low at the hip; with high pagoda shoulders. Then Lagerfeld sent the Chanel atelier into fantasy land – with remarkable chiffon petal skirts and dresses worthy of Giverny on a sunny May afternoon.
 
Though the pieces de resistance were the stunning tunics composed of micro flowers; no exact species but thousands of tiny fantasy buds. For more serious soirees, the German couturier revamped the Little Black Dress, cutting it as cascades of whisper light chiffon; followed by a pair of fantastic passages – a black and metallic silver evening column before dazzling metallic semi-sheer overalls.
 
A collection of delicate beauty that reminded the audiences of 600 why couture, in part, exists – to summon up images of never quite seen before fashion.
 
Underlining the sense of a fashion techno vision of nature was the soundtrack that included Thrown by the Faronese-Icelandic techno duo Kiasmos and Cascada by Scottish electronic musician Konx-Om-Pax.
 
Lagerfeld took the traditional couture bow with a bride, and also with his “grandson” and protégé Hudson Kroenig, the latter wearing white jeans and blouse carrying a basket of flowers. Ever generous, Lagerfeld has just bought Hudson an seafront apartment in Miami to add to a flat near Gramercy Park in New York.

 
“At my age, it’s a great pleasure to make gifts to the people I really love. But I always tell Hudson that if skips his studies I will take it away!” snapped the ever industrious German designer, sporting a new beard.
 
“I have a coiffeur come to my apartment to trim it. I haven’t had a beard since the late Seventies, but I have always had a pony tail. I hate to have curly hair,” he laughed taping Ora on her arm, a classic Lagerfeld sign of affection.