Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Paris Fashion Week Coverage

Chanel Fall 2011 Couture

A dark Parisian street, lit by brass tri-head lamps and glittering with spectral dream dust, set the stage for Chanel's latest runway triumph. If the last collection was an eery vision at a dystopian future, this one was a storied glimpse at the past packaged alongside the Kaiser's inimitable modernity.

Lagerfeld relied on a brooding palette of black, gray, and navy blue with a cheerful shot of fuchsia minimally present on a few of the outfits. The silhouettes on signature Chanel tweed suits got beefed up with robust shoulders and a bell-curve flip of peplum over the hips. Smart, 60s tweed ensembles were subverted by punky, lace, elbow-length gloves and knee-high leather boots. A smattering of lace veiled the eyes of the models, which enhanced the moody feel of the collection.

As the collection progressed, the peplum details grew more ornate, layered, fringed, and exotic. A jet-black layered peplum suit with dramatic poet sleeves was an especially brilliant example of the Kaiser's updated silhouette. From there, the lengths of the skirts grew longer and the constricted flute-like lines caused the models to walk in small, geisha-like steps. Later looks were plunged in crystal studs, or fluttered in a plume of feathers. Panels of gathered lace and feathers were so separate from the garments they were on that it lent the feeling that they were detachable. The creativity of the costuming, combined with an overt homage to Mademoiselle Chanel and the "anything goes" street atmosphere of this collection, kept the looks diverse while imprinting them with Lagerfeld's DNA.

Click here to see full video coverage of the Chanel Fall 2011 Couture collection.

written by GRACE GORDON