For this morning's Chanel couture show, Karl Lagerfeld transported guests (including Rita Ora and Stella Tennant) to a French formal garden built inside the Grand Palais, complete with trellis archways, a stunning fountain and climbing plants. Into this jardin of delights, evoking a summer wedding or twilight garden party, the first model emerged, in a pink bouclé twinset, matching sock boots and a netted headpiece topped off with flowers. Tweed twinsets came out in a multitude of vivid floral colours, from vine green to rosy pink, while other models wore beautifully crafted double-breasted coats over tweed dresses or structured frocks with an exaggerated skirt. Plumes of feathers adorned the hemlines of long coats, while other looks were toughened up with fingerless leather gloves and patent ankle boots; elegant tweed shorts also added a tomboy touch to the collection.
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For the final looks, Lagerfeld amped up the flowery, pink fantasy with a ribboned fuchsia mini dress, a Pearly Queen bustier, and pleated, frothy tiered sheer gowns with deep front pockets, intricately detailed with floral adornments and crystals. The pick of the bunch, 16-year-old model Kaia Gerber – one of Lagerfeld's latest muses – came out in a dreamy pink dress with feathers bouncing on the sleeves and hem.
For the pièce de résistance, that being the final bridal look which concludes most couture shows, a model stepped out in a white waistcoat, white trousers and white boots, with a mesmerising feathered train and cape which fluttered around her. A modern update on the sumptuous bridal gowns you might expect from Haute Couture, the impressive handiwork of the skilled petites mains was evident in the immaculate tailoring and delicacy of the quilled skirt train. And of course it wouldn't be a Chanel show without the guest appearance of Hudson Kroenig, Lagerfeld's godson, who played the part of the perfect flower boy, throwing petals down the catwalk alongside the bride.