Chanel’s elaborate runway shows are one of the most anticipated on the fashion calendar, taking journeys to an airport terminal, a French brasserie, Chanel-clad streets amid a protest, a casino, and even the supermarket. This season was no exception, with Karl Lagerfeld setting out to make tech cool, transforming the Grand Palais into the chicest Chanel Data Centre. But this was no nerdy computer lab, from the neat multi-coloured wiring, flashing lights, and rows of circuit boards, to the first models who opened the show dressed as tweed twinset wearing robots, all to the soundtrack of a remix of Donna Summer’s ‘I Feel Love’.
Fashion
Tweed jackets were layered over negligee, as diaphanous underwear was worn as daywear, peeping out from psychedelic prints and technicolour tweed. The classic Chanel bouclé jackets and tweed twinsets were woven to match the wire colours, and bias-cut chiffon dresses were covered with psychedelic-looking electro wave prints.
Accessories
Although models took us back to the ’90s, accessories were very much in the 21st century, with Chanel bags lit up by LED-lights and Matrix-esque sunglasses. Karl gave the bags a major reboot, creating light up styles that relayed sweet greetings, plus flashed the iconic double C logo. And it wouldn’t be Chanel without an array of other covetable accessories, which included colour-coordinated baseball caps that were worn sideways, plenty of single earrings, and statement medallion-like pendants.
Footwear
Comfortable shoes ruled the runway, as Chanel created low, block-heeled pumps with ankle coverings that accompanied each look. When models weren’t wearing the pump-boot hybrids, they were sporting classic Chanel ballet flats.
Front Row
Chanel muse Lily-Rose Depp sat front row beside Usher and two seats down from Courtney Love and her daughter, Frances Bean Cobain. Also sitting front row was the house’s quintessential muse Ines de la Fressange, along with Carla Bruni and Caroline de Maigret, making it three generations of Chanel beauties taking in the collection.
Faces
Given the show’s digital theme, it made sense that the line-up was filled with girls who know a thing or two about the latest technology. Social media–savvy stars such as Taylor Hill and her fellow Angels Jasmine Tookes and Romee Strijd added to the appeal, as did runway favourite and Instagram power user Soo Joo Park. Arizona Muse led the parade of models, following the pair of Chanel clad incognito robots.
