Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Paris Fashion Week Coverage

Chanel Spring 2012

Chanel coda was all but scrapped for Spring/Summer 2012, save for a few tweed separates. Instead of reinventing typical fare, Karl Lagerfeld decided to embark on a Poseidon Adventure, plunging us under the surface of the sea to revel in the scenery. Lagerfeld hit every sea-related look, but placed his signature innovative twist on every one of them. From sailor buttons to the undulating ruffles of a sea anemone, chances are if it had to do with the ocean in any way, it appeared in this rhapsodic, maritime collection.

There are four important couture details to note in this collection: sleeves, buttons, pockets, and black piping. The latter detail either trimmed the outline of tidy apron-hemmed jackets, or was used to create giant square designs on many of the outfits. Exaggerated sleeves were used to play with proportions and silhouettes. One particular dress, though basic, was stunning in pumped up sleeves, a sleek silhouette and a nubby powder blue knit. Orderly rows of sailor buttons spruced up basic jackets (and the tails on one made it look particularly militaristic), giving them a Navy feel. Deep pockets were placed on many of the skirts, making them perfect to wear to the beach. One could imagine walking along a low tide and slipping shiny shells into the pockets of these skirts.

Clusters of buds decorated one of the dresses so that it resembled the busy microcosmic ecosystem of a coral reef. A blunt black overlay on abstract prints looked like a leather boat tarp. Strands of fabric that hung low from skirts were reminiscent of jellyfish tentacles. The pretty abstract prints of many of the dresses were like a blurred, colorful undersea scape. The most amazing look from this whole collection, however, was a prismatic fish scale dress that shimmered in the lights of the runway. Trust that whenever Karl Lagerfeld captains fashion’s ship, that he’ll navigate it to exquisite, untrammeled territory.

written by GRACE GORDON|photos: courtesy of GoRunway

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