Alright, let’s wrap this up with a bang.
Chanel Haute Couture Spring 2012 dresses all in shades of silvery gunmetal, 154 hues of blue (and some black here and there) look perfect for the red-carpet season ahead of us. I can just see some of the younger starlets wearing the tiered silvery dresses, and then a grand dame or two in the wonderful organza gowns with striking necklines.
I love that the drop-waist and the hands-in-pockets continued into the evening wear that closed the show. It was also good to see some nice shapes and not too much reliance on beading and embellishment- there was just a touch, just so, and just right.
-RS (Images courtesy Chanel)
One of my favorite shapes from the Chanel couture show was this super long and lean silhouette shown on coat-dresses and little clipped jackets and ankle-length skirts. Slim, willowy, very elegant… very Chanel. And again, stuff your little hands in those pockets girls!
-RS (Images courtesy Chanel)
For the Chanel spring couture, Karl Lagerfeld showed a collection of dresses, separates and gowns in precisely 154 shades of blue. It was all about air- the blue sky, the billowing volume etc etc etc. The show opened with some very classic Chanel silhouettes updated with a hip-inset pocket situation that played out through the entire collection. The exaggerated stand-up collars looked retro but still very chic, while blues from powder to marine in the usual tweeds were mixed back with black and white.
-RS (Images courtesy: Chanel)
For Pre-Fall 2012 Karl Lagerfeld was on a passage to India. And since this is Chanel, we’re not talking ashrams or yoga retreats or hippies on the beach at Goa. Rather, he went full force for the over-the-top bejeweling and embellishment of the Maharajas. The color palette was rather sedate considering the point of reference, but he managed to include a few shots of bright pink and periwinkle against all the white, cream, gold, navy and burgundy.
The most successful and interesting looks were those were the “Indian” styling was hinted at but presented in a fresh way. For example, narrow trousers similar to the traditional selwar were paired with airy, feminine frocks in shimmering gold silk and came off looking fresh, just a touch “ethnic” but not costumey. Lagerfeld managed to pull this off in the draped crotch split skirts he showed with neat little tops, and with some of the looks in the latter half of the show.
-RS (Images courtesy CHANEL)
Well, here is the good news. There is quite a lot to love in Chanel Spring 2012. However, most of my favorite looks had nothing to do with the “Under the Sea” theme that Lagerfeld had mentioned. I loooooved the cream colored separates with the black square outline placed askew on the pieces. The seafoam green jacket with black accents was a super cool shape that reminded me a bit of Edwardian mens shirting somehow. Classic blush colored jackets with big gold buttons were good stand-bys, and some of the ruffly dresses I thought very spirited. Stick around for parts two and three though… -RS
Mixed in with the pale blush, seafoam green, nude, and cream was a bit of black and white (always at Chanel) as well as some bright prints in brilliant blues and pinks. Though I couldnt see how the prints were at all sea-themed- they looked more floral to me- they were rendered beautifully in delicate tiers of chiffon. -RS
The Chanel Prestige Eyewear Collection
Last night, Designer Social had the opportunity to attend a preview event of the Chanel Prestige eyewear collection.
Flatscreens were at the front of the showroom and played five short videos focusing on the behind-the-scenes process of how this collection was made.
It was an incredibly impressive line of sunglasses and eyeglasses, all of which featured Chanel’s infamous chain strap. The Prestige collection is released on an annual basis, but each year focuses on a different piece of the Chanel brand (example: a button). There were cat-eyes, traditional square shapes and, for the first time, aviators. Iconic supermodel Claudia Schiffer acted as the face of Autumn/Winter 2011 and she truly struck an impressive pose.
Side note: Chanel launches six — count them, six — different eyewear compilations each year. That’s crazy, ya’ll!
Who wore it better, the mannequin or Chanel Prestige eyewear ambassador Claudia Schiffer?
Here’s a little hint as to what I was up to this evening. Not good at guessing games? Okay, fine, I visited the Chanel showroom and got a preview of this year’s (because it is updated annually and all) Prestige eyewear collection.
Don’t worry, I’ll tell you more about it tomorrow.
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