10-word show review: The embodiment of Chanel as a lifestyle via effortless couture
Designer: Virginie Viard
Location: The Seine
The vision: What is Frenchess? The age old debate continues in the arena of fashion—and if the cliches of waif-thin silhouettes, laissez-faire pairings and tousle-and-go draping are anything go by, the generalisation is widely revered for good reason. Chanel’s fall/winter 2023 haute couture showing by Virginie Viard kept it near and dear by painting a portrait of the “sensitive yet bold” Parisienne. This vision came to life—or rather, looked right at home—at the iconic river Seine. The ambiance of the show seemed to sell the vision as well as the clothes and solidified the precedence that the Parisienne woman is an innate trendsetter. Explains Viard: “Playing with opposites and contrasts, with nonchalance and elegance, is like standing on a line between strength and delicacy, which, at Chanel, is what we call allure.”
The vibe: And alluring it was. Armed with an enviable nonchalance, models strolled down the runway sans the razor sharp intensity that usually comes with a fashion show. Caroline de Maigret—model, producer and author of ‘How to be Parisian Wherever You Are’—set the scene with her impeccably tousled hair and slight smile. Other characters followed—some with their hands buried deep in their pockets in a small act of cocooning after a long day; others confident, assured and laser focused on their destination and a chic dog-walker peppered amongst flower-bearers. “If we’re in Paris,” Viard adds, “and this time we’re in Paris itself, on the quayside—street and the colourful paving stones call for both sophistication and simplicity.”
Wear this to: The beauty of the collection is in its ability to be worn anywhere, despite its heavy injections of silk chiffons, organza and delicate lace. Look 1 saw a double-breasted tweed coat that comfortably perched on de Maigret’s frame and immediately broke the mold of formality. In a vote for duality, it could be worn to nestle the giddy excitement of a first coffee date (paired with a white top and jeans, perhaps) or to catch the rain after a long evening at the Opera. On our shores, where the humidity is unforgiving, the collection’s lighter fare proves more desirable.
Look 42 and all its gilded embroidered beauty—styled perfectly with a pair of sheer Chanel pumps—makes for the kind of wedding guest outfit that teeters the line between showstopping and subtle. Look 40 boasted a buttoned-up politeness—one that heartily comes undone after a round of drinks with old friends. And finally, a Chanel haute couture affair just isn’t one without its bridal vision as seen with Look 48. Airy, playful and intentionally tongue-in-cheek, it ended the show with a decided versatility, as if to hint that it could be worn just about anywhere—a wedding, a play, or even Mars.
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Look 1, Chanel haute couture fall/winter 2023
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Look 5, Chanel haute couture fall/winter 2023
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Look 6, Chanel haute couture fall/winter 2023
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Look 7, Chanel haute couture fall/winter 2023
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Look 16, Chanel haute couture fall/winter 2023
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Look 33, Chanel haute couture fall/winter 2023
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Look 36, Chanel haute couture fall/winter 2023
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Look 40, Chanel haute couture fall/winter 2023
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Look 42, Chanel haute couture fall/winter 2023
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Look 46, Chanel haute couture fall/winter 2023
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