Karl Lagerfeld celebrates the real artisans of haute couture, shining a spotlight on his ateliers as he unveils Chanel’s autumn/winter collection. We gain an insight into the painstaking craftsmanship of ‘les petites mains’ as the seamstresses take centre stage.
The decor
For the backdrop to Chanel’s autumn/winter 2016/17 haute couture runway show, Karl Lagerfeld recreated the ateliers on Rue Cambon, where the brand’s haute couture creations are painstakingly put together. Up to 120 women, including the ateliers’ premières, seconds and seamstresses, were put under the spotlight, in a show that celebrated the craftsmanship at the heart of couture.
The celebrities
The show attracted the usual bevy of celebrities, but also highlighted the diversity of Lagerfeld’s muses. In attendance were Vanessa Paradis, Jessica Chastain, Milla Jovovich, Lebanese actress and Chanel ambassador Razane Jammal, Will Smith and his daughter Willow – the face of Chanel’s latest eyewear campaign – and model, music producer and writer Caroline de Maigret, who, it has just been announced, is Chanel’s newest spokesperson and ambassador.
Lagerfeld’s victory lap
Karl Lagerfeld did two complete circuits of the runway at the end of the show, offering attendees a rare chance to see the fashion icon up close. Most touching, however, is the fact that he was joined on his victory lap by the heads of his ateliers.
The silhouette
The silhouette was ultra-sleek this season, but we particularly loved the strong, clean shoulder line on many of the pieces. Bevelled or angular cut, often with an extreme taper or single sharp angle (but never any padding), they were a unifying element of the show.
The trouser suits
Trousers, or culottes, which widened through the leg to a cropped hem, were paired with jackets of varying shapes and lengths to create a new, ultra-wearable Chanel suit.
