Chanel and Its First Fashion Week without Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Lagerfeld was a famous German fashion designer, creative director, artist, caricaturist, and photographer. He lived in Paris and was mainly known for his work with the French fashion house, Chanel. He collaborated on several art-related projects and a variety of fashion lines.
In February 2019, he passed away and was memorialized with a 90-minute tribute at the Grand Palais. Chanel appointed his right-hand, Virginie Viard, as the main creative director of Chanel. She staged her first fashion show at the Grand Palais in Paris. It was clear that the designs were made keeping in mind two things: Coco Chanel and Lagerfeld.
Image Source: HarpersBazaar, Virginie Viard Debuts First Solo Chanel Collection, MAY 3 2019
The Fashion Week took place in the gorgeous Grand Palais, as usual. This time, the set design for Chanel looked like a Beaux-Arts style train station, complete with a train car called Destination Chanel. This design was chosen as a promise for an adventure that Chanel was about to embark on with their new designer at the helm.
The fashion show began with 1930s-inspired outfits that had been modernized by slouchy, rumpled tailoring and heavy gold Chanel hardware. As the show progressed, people could easily spot the influence Karl had on the looks. Lagerfeld was known for his detachable, high, starched collars, black sunglasses, white hair, and fingerless gloves. The model in the fashion show wearing a Chanel miniskirt suit looked simply iconic with the Karl influence; the white starched collar, black gown, and colorful, bright tweed all echoed of brilliant Lagerfeld collections.
This is not to say that the new designer, Virginie Viard, did not add her own flair to the collection. The softer dresses and the use of chiffon highlighted the new age of Chanel that will cement Virginie Viard’s own creativity. The new focus on femininity with dresses, belts, blouses, and bows was refreshing.
There were many A-list celebrities aboard the Destination Chanel, despite the Prada show happening in New York around the same time. A long-time face of the Chanel brand, Keira Knightley sat with her husband. Other than that, Claudia Schiffer, Lily-Rose Depp, and Ali McGraw were also present. Vittoria Ceretti, the world-famous model, opened the show.