Seaside but make it Parisian chic

Even hard-core Paris fans have to admit that the city of love can be a bit dull during the rainy, cold days the month of October usually brings along. That is also what Karl Lagerfeld must have figured which is why he invited the fashion world to a sunny, tropical beach getaway for his Chanel Reay-to-Wear Spring/Summer 2019 Paris fashion show. Complete with pristine white sand, blue skies, the sound of crying seagulls and real water. For Chanel, life apparently really is a beach.

Not one where people wear swim attire and flip-flops though. The models, carrying their low-heeled sandals by hand and walking barefoot through sand and water, wore what the industry would call „the heart of Parisian chic“. Real, relatable fashion – a blissful trip back to the days of Coco Chanel herself. The audience witnessed a flamboyant, wonderfully indiscrete celebration of the brand with massive logos on earrings, necklaces, and belts. Not to mention a top and skirt set spelling out „CHA“ and „NEL“ in two parts. Oh, and who doesn’t swoon over the new one-for-the-price-of-two bag with its chain harness x-marking the torso?

Apart from that, Lagerfeld opted for classy tweed sets with boxy, cropped jackets in pastel colours over matching skirts and raw-edge straw hats - nothing too wild for sure but that has never been Chanel’s thing, has it. However, surprisingly, some of the models sported leggings and biker shorts (make way for the social media trend train here). Athleisure, oversized tweet and leather jackets, cropped cashmere pullovers and quilted chain bags? That does sound suspiciously like a reference to the fashion of the 80s and 90s (which by the way also is another mainstream trend at the moment). When asked if he intends on bringing back more styles from that era, Lagerfeld responded in his classic dry-humoured manner: “When did you say that was, the ’90s? I wasn’t born!”

In the end, this collection is not overloaded with hidden deeper meanings like some designers tend to do these days. It’s a celebration of the brand, the joy of fashion and of dressing nicely. And sometimes, that is just enough.

Anmerkung: Dieses Review entstand im Rahmen der Teilnahme am Summer Course "Fashion Journalism" am College Central Saint Martins der University of the Arts London im Juli 2022.