Virginie Viard's Haute Couture vision for Chanel Fall Winter 23 was realised quayside on the banks of the Seine in Paris yesterday; a presentation entrenched in the idea of balance, and with a nod to the global cathexis on the 'Parisienne woman'.
Tailored coats and pinstriped trousers in masculine silhouettes complimented feminine, diaphanous blouses and monochromatic chiffon dresses on the runway; ballooning sleeves and capes giving a subtle, 70s-inspired profile to otherwise contemporary forms. Accessories were kept light – floral, silken scarfs wrapped heads, while gold-capped Mary-Jane shoes and straw boat hats punctuated the presentation, redolent of the rich bohemian history of the locus. House codes were apparent in the tweed two-pieces and drop-waisted gowns, we even got to see another four-legged friend take the runway before the presentation closed with their traditional bridal look: this time an all-white, puff-sleeved sheer chiffon gown, complete with bow collar and matching white Mary-Janes.
"Playing with opposites and contrasts, with nonchalance and elegance, is like standing on a line between strength and delicacy, which, at Chanel, is what we call allure," said Viard on the collection. "If we're in Paris, and this time we're in Paris itself, on the quayside, the street and the colourful paving stones call for both sophistication and simplicity."
The balancing of contrasts – masculine and feminine, sophistication and simplicity, louche and tailored – is an apt portrait of the sensitive yet bold Parisienne. Never the poseur, her subtle effervescence and allure has always been felt at the heart of the French Maison's collections.
Symbolically, this energy was felt throughout the show, wicker baskets overflowing with copious wild fruits and delicate flowers, a wink at the kind of nonconformist sophistication – through cinema, literature, art and music – that travels from collection to collection for the House. And who better to open a show centred on the Parisienne woman, than Caroline de Maigret?
Watch the full Chanel Fall Winter 23 Haute Couture show, below.
