Opening the final day of Paris fashion week, Chanel staged its spring/summer 2023 show today at the Grand Palais Ephémère – a 10,000 sq foot temporary exhibition hall located in the Champ de Mars, and designed by architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte.
Since Virginie Viard was appointed the house’s creative director in 2019, following the death of Karl Lagerfeld (whom she had worked closely with for over 20 years) Viard has continued celebrating the codes that the legendary German designer (and of course, Coco Chanel) established, albeit with her own take on how the women of today want to wear Chanel.
This season that woman was Kristen Stewart, a muse for the house and the inspiration behind the collection which was titled ‘Allure’. “What is the allure we spontaneously associate with Chanel, that traverses all eras and is embodied in ours by Kristen Stewart…” read the show notes. The set for last season’s autumn/winter 2022 show’s was dressed up in tweed, practically from wall to ceiling. This time, a film by Inez and Vinoodh, starring Stewart, was projected on the wall in the round. Stewart was also sat front row, alongside the likes of Georgia May Jagger, Halsey, and Naomi Campbell.
Rianne Van Rompaey opened the collection wearing a piece that included archival black and white images from the house’s history printed on long sleeved tunic. Irina Shayk also walked the runway, in an off-the-shoulder ruffled dress.
The collection’s palette was largely monochrome, punctuated with lilacs, pale apricots, creams and pink. Dazzling embellishments and feather adornments provided Chanel’s signature bouclé and tweed a lightness. Crystals adorned fishnet socks, shoes and accessories, and black evening wear. The closing look was a white lace drop waist gown.
