Last night, the fashion elite danced into the early hours at Dior's masked ball, following Maria Grazia Chiuri's debut couture show in Paris earlier in the day. But there was no time for lie-ins this morning as it was straight off to the first sitting of Chanel's Spring '17 couture show, at 10am sharp. While we've grown accustomed to the fashion house's extravagant spectacles, from last season's Chanel Data Centre to the remodelling of an eco lodge for couture Spring '16, this morning's event was comparatively low-key and intimate.
Karl Lagerfeld and co constructed an Art Deco mirrored salon in the Grand Palais for an audience of 120 of the industry's most important editors and influencers, who sat on cream suede sofas around the crystal show space. The setting was inspired by '30s interior decorator Syrie Maugham, who was renowned for her chic, all-white designs. But while the staging might have been slightly more understated than usual and the collection initially more restrained, Lagerfeld still called upon the biggest names in the business to walk down the mirrored catwalk, including Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Soo Joo Park, Lindsey Wixson and Molly Bair.
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Arizona Muse opened the show in a light-green tweed skirt suit, followed by other pastel bouclé suits and Jackie O-esque twinsets. For a 2017 take on the traditional Chanel bouclé suit, this season's featured bold cutaways and glitter thread woven through. As the elegant collection transitioned into evening wear there were tulip silhouettes, feathers and full '50s skirts encrusted with crystals, topped with tulle. A mermaid blue dress shimmered across the mirrored catwalk and a slimline trouser suit glittered in silver. Cinched waists abounded, as thick belts drew in around the mid-ribcage, raising the waist and mimicking the shape of Alberto Giacometti's 1920s sculpture 'Spoon Woman', the main inspiration for the collection.
Lily-Rose Depp closed the show as the Chanel couture bride, accompanied by Karl Lagerfeld, in the frothiest pink tulle gown, covered with romantic ruffles and puff ball sleeves. Though the show may have opened with clean and simple suiting, this was the decadent, maximalist finish we were all hoping for.