[Images via Elle.com]
Regarded by many as the best show of the season, Karl Lagerfeld surely had an outing of frou and froth amid a lavish set of a garden, complete with three large fountains.The root of the inspiration was derived from the film Last Year at Marienbad, a film that Coco Chanel herself had created costumes for. While the 80-person orchestra played contemporary ditties, the clothes harked back to Chanel signatures of yore, sculpted anew with slimmer silhouettes and subversive detailing such as ostentatious fringe, holes, and revealing sheerness paired up with cut out shapes. The major message to walk away with from this collection is that while Lagerfeld adheres to the chiffon, black, and tweed signatures, he somehow manages to breathe new life into a line that boasted over 80 models and looks for Spring 2011.
-Julia DiNardo
A progression of structure and color swept through the Chanel Fall couture runway for the Fall 2009 Couture collection. Beginning on a classic note, Karl Lagerfield sent tailored skirt suits hushed in grey, brown, and navy hues to set the simple opulence synonymous with the Chanel brand. The dress and coat ensembles may have been stream-lined but jeweled embellishments and graphic patterns brought a fresh breath to the classic looks. The lace tights and colorful oxford shoe pairings also brought a delicate, dark asymmetry to the twist on the menswear fabrications. But as the show progressed, skirt suits morphed into ethereal tulle evening gowns, and the smoky colors intensified to a spectrum of jeweled purples, reds and blues. The silhouettes also became more daring with dramatic “tails” skimming the ground behind mid-thigh sequenced dresses and patterns exploded in firework designs and bursting floral jewels to bring the intensity to a heightened severity.
