Paris Haute Couture Week: Chanel

By Emily Borrett.

All the hardcore fashion lovers which have flocked to Paris Couture Week for some extraordinary sights were waiting with baited breath yesterday to see what Euro-genius Karl Lagerfeld had come up with this time for the Chanel runway. And when your past shows have featured models tumbling sexily around in a barn full of hay and girls stomping around a melting ice-cap in swathes of fur, you’ve got a lot to live up to. Luckily Karl didn’t let us down.

There were plenty of the timeless silhouettes that we’ve come to love and expect from France’s most beloved luxury brand – but this time, there were a few wry twists that let us know that Lagerfeld doesn’t intend to play it safe when it comes to design. The classic black-and-white fringed, distressed tweeds that have been so en vogue in Chanel’s designs were given an update by being teamed with tougher fabrics – a classic example being the beautifully cut monochrome blazer that was sent down the catwalk teamed up with a pair of sheeny black sequined trousers and flat shoes. More bad girl than Parisian lady-in-waiting, non?

Pastel colours were also a key theme for the brand this season, with funnel-necked little jackets and tailored trousers being shown in shades of sugared violet and pale peach. An unexpected turn for the fashion house, which has always favoured its’ fabrics in classic black, greys and whites, but by golly it works. Adorned in crystal fastenings and shining trims, we hope that Karl’s new approach to outerwear will translate onto the high-street later this year. Could pastels overtake camel?

Mr. Lagerfeld has clearly also been taking peeks at the likes of Marchesa lately, as we saw more than a hint of the frou-frou in his dressier designs. Babydoll silhouttes, midi-hemlines and puff-sleeves were given the extra fashion oomph with an absolutely insane explosion of gathered, ruffled chiffon which gave the eveningwear a playful, princess-esque feel. We’re not sure if us normies could pull it off, but if Asos reproduce a forty-quid version then we’ll damn well give it a try.

Our verdict on the Chanel show? Karl Lagerfeld has pulled yet another rabbit out of his Swarovski-encrusted hat. He must have a whole field of them by now.

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