On the bridge of the La Pausa liner last May, Karl Lagerfeld imagined a collection inspired by cruise ships. The silhouette is happy, thought out for travelling comfortably and with style, just as Gabrielle Chanel did.
Onboard the Flying Cloud, the yacht belonging to the Duke of Westminster, the designer liked to wear simple outfits, fine knitwear, pleated skirts and low-heeled shoes fastened with a strap – the Chanel Mary Janes. In block colour or two-tone, Mademoiselle would also wear them ashore, most often with light knits and mid-length skirts.
These shoes feature regularly in Karl Lagerfeld’s Ready-to-Wear and Haute Couture collections, each time in new previously unseen forms: precious or understated, with a single or double strap, flat or with a heel, according to the designer’s imagination.
For the 2018/19 Cruise collection, Karl Lagerfeld reinvents them as “children’s party shoes” to punctuate the looks of the collection. Imagined in silver goatskin, in white calfskin or embellished with sequins, and perched on a little heel, this new version brings elegance and femininity to a shoe long associated with children’s wear. With their rounded toe, they follow in the line of the ballerina, the emblematic Chanel shoe. The designer has also created a casual-chic sportswear version with a rubber sneaker sole.
Discover the 2018/19 Chanel Cruise collection in boutiques.
