Virginie Viard presented her Fall-Winter 2021/22 Ready-to-Wear collection for Chanel today in Paris.
The virtual presentation was both playful, warm and lively, the uplifting mood bringing a sense of hope to our screens.
“I love contrasts, so for the more voluminous winter pieces, I wanted a small space. I don’t know if this is because of the times we live in, but I wanted something warm, lively.” Said Virginie Viard. “I imagined the models doing a show for themselves, going from room to room, crossing each other in staircases, piling their coats up in the cloakroom and going up to the next floor to get changed. And I thought of the shows that Karl would tell me about, back in the day, a long time ago, when the models would dress themselves and do their own make-up.”
Models could be seen backstage at the Castel club in Paris, doing their own makeup, getting dressed and even checking their coats into the cloakroom. This fun and relatable approach not only created a light mood but had us longing for the days of going out once again.
“I like Castel so much for its many salons, the spiral staircase, its bar, the journey through this venue, its little house style, where the models can get changed, dressed and undressed, do their make-up together, and have fun like a girls night in. It’s very sensual.” Said Viard of the location choice.
When it came to the collection that same playfulness could be felt with an assured sense of the seventies era. There were contrasts between volumes, materials and spirit. A long tweed coat with a chevron motif reveals bare legs wearing voluminous boots in black curly faux fur; a trouser suit in black tweed with small checks in blue lurex is adorned with thin braces in pearls and layers of sautoir necklaces. A white coat in patent sheepskin and lined with faux fur, is coupled with “down jacket” style two-tone boots, with unzippable legs giving way to a pair of silver heeled booties to go dancing in.
The ski slopes were also a great inspiration for the collection. Salopettes-ski suits in white quilting were embroidered with red and blue motifs, or in fuchsia tweed, and worn with strappy sandals embellished with chains and little black bows or pumps adorned with a camellia, while delicate blouses in chiffon or crêpe de Chine are combined with pieces inspired by winter sportswear.
Sequinned ballet flats, strass-covered minaudières worn like a sautoir necklace, a man’s black shirt with a white collar and cuffs under a precious suit in navy lurex, a tweed kilt over a knitted jumpsuit embellished with iridescent threads.
“Today some of these silhouettes make me think of Stella Tennant’s allure, the way she wore certain pieces, it was so Chanel.” Concluded Viard as she spoke of the iconic model who sadly passed away earlier this year.
See the full show video at Chanel.com
