PARIS — A giant empty cage greeted Chanel guests as they returned to the Grand Palais on Tuesday. While perhaps not intentionally symbolic, the decorations seemed to capture the current state of the house itself: a grand structure with no creative direction. Virginie Viard’s recent departure leaves Chanel at a crossroads as the fashion world eagerly awaits the appointment of a new creative leader.
Meanwhile, in a powerful step towards embracing diversity, Chanel announced Lupita Nyong’o as its new ambassador. The appointment of the Mexican-Kenyan Oscar-winning actor comes at a pivotal time for the French fashion house, which has faced criticism for a lack of inclusivity in the past. The move follows the widely praised appointment of British-Indian Leena Nair as Chanel’s global chief executive in 2022, making her the only person of color to lead a major luxury brand. Become a woman of the species.
Here are some highlights from the spring/summer ready-to-wear shows: Chanel: In search of a vision beyond the empty cage
The spring collection incorporated many familiar elements from Chanel’s vast repertoire. Chiffon capes, slit skirts, embroidered transparent shirt dresses, trench coats adorned with multicolored feather prints, aviator jackets with Peter Pan collars, all-pink or blue tweed looks, and symbolism. such as Little Black. A dress that Chanel herself introduced to the world. Tweed, jersey, faille, transparent embroidery, sequins, fringe, pastel knits and sparkling platform shoes all made an appearance, forming a showcase of the house’s signature character.
But despite the breadth and richness of the offering, something was wrong. There was little consistency, and the collections at times lacked the unmistakable soul that once characterized Chanel shows. A series of scarf-print gowns looked out of place, as if they had been clumsily borrowed from another story.
Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel used scissors to free women from their corsets. Today, Chanel itself needs liberation. The applause at the end of the show, which featured designs that often felt uninspired, was noticeably muted, with critics visibly shifting in their seats.
Elvis Presley’s granddaughter Riley Keough performed, closing the show with a funky vocal performance of Prince’s hits from inside a gilded cage, as well as Nyong’o, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Vanessa Paradis, Margaret Qualley and Naomi also starred. Campbell appeared to be trying to deflect attention from the elephant in the room, or rather, the empty cage.
Chanel is undoubtedly a giant in the fashion world and will survive this period of transition. But the importance of the decisions that homes are currently facing cannot be overstated. Chanel needs to find a designer who can reimagine and redefine its vision for the future. There is a lot of speculation in the industry. Possible successors include Daniel Rosebery, known for his dramatic work at Schiaparelli, Marc Jacobs, an accomplished classicist with experience in Paris, and Nadège Vanët, an accomplished designer at Hermès.
Viard was fired this summer and was Karl Lagerfeld’s closest ally for decades, taking over after the latter’s death in 2019. She has overseen Chanel’s record sales, which reportedly reached $19.7 billion last year. Ready-to-wear sales reportedly increased by 23% during her tenure. Viard is only the third creative director in Chanel’s more than 100-year history, following Lagerfeld and legendary founder Chanel herself. Lupita Nyong’o becomes Chanel ambassador
Nyong’o expressed the excitement and deep sense of responsibility that comes with her new role. “It’s a great honor,” she said. “Chanel is a heritage brand with a long history, and to be its latest face feels monumental. I am very, very proud and excited to be embarking on this new journey.”
Nyong’o’s appointment comes as a breath of fresh air in an industry that has been criticized for its lack of diversity and reluctance to change. The number of black designers heading up traditional houses remains shockingly low. Currently, only Balmain’s Olivier Rousteing and Louis Vuitton’s men’s designer Pharrell Williams are the only traditional Parisian brands to hold such a position.
For Nyong’o, joining Chanel is not just about wearing beautiful clothes, it’s about contributing to changing the narrative in fashion. “The message that I naturally and intentionally conveyed to this role is that things have changed, and we don’t want them to go back to the way they were,” she said.
Nyong’o was inspired after watching a recent documentary about Bethan Hardison, an iconic model and activist who was at the forefront of promoting diversity in fashion in the 1960s and 1970s. Hardison rose to fame after appearing in the historic 1973 Battle of Versailles, a groundbreaking fashion show that brought attention to American designers, becoming one of the first high-profile black models. , openly advocated for change.
“In that documentary, I saw how much work had been done to diversify the fashion industry, and then in the years since, I saw how much the industry has regressed back to monoculture, and it really hit me. I was surprised,” Nyong’o said.
Hardison’s tireless efforts have yielded significant gains for black models in the past, but subsequent setbacks have highlighted how fragile those victories are. Her fight for inclusivity in fashion is both a lesson and a source of inspiration for Nyong’o, who now carries on Hardison’s legacy.
“It took a step back, so for me it was evidence of the fact that awareness is needed. It’s a conscious effort that has to be made every day and in the moment. Once you fix it, it stays that way. We cannot hope for that,” Nyong’o added. She sees Chanel’s decision to make her an ambassador as part of a broader, intentional declaration. “I feel like these moves that Chanel is making are part of a declaration of a desire to represent a more realistic world, and I’m proud to be one of the faces sending that message out.” I think so.”
The importance of visibility in reshaping perceptions cannot be underestimated.
“When I was a kid, I never thought I’d be appearing in an ad for a brand like this. As a result, I went through quite a identity crisis and felt undervalued by the world. ” Nyong’o said candidly. She talked about those early days. I stared at the pages of glossy magazines, searching for a face that looked like me, but I found none.
Now she imagines a little girl who sees herself in a Chanel campaign and sees someone similar to her somewhere – someone elegant, famous and appreciated.
“I hope there’s a message for little girls,” she continued. “My job as an actor, writer, podcaster, and now a brand ambassador is to change things just by taking up space.” This is a powerful reminder of the transformative impact of expression. Masu. When someone finally occupies a space that was once vacant, it changes the way people see themselves and the world around them.
The luxury goods sector has frequently been accused of tokenism and superficial diversity efforts – short-term gestures without real long-term change. Nyong’o embodies the idea that expression must have impact and purpose, and is determined to make her role count. Louis Vuitton combines luxury and chaos in a stunning collection
French fashion once again demonstrated its formidable strength with Nicolas Ghesquière’s spring collection for Louis Vuitton, combining savoir-faire and cultural resonance. “French fashion is a formidable soft power, radiating a tradition of savoir-faire, an art de vivre, a cultural singularity,” the house said, adding that the designers will create the grand culmination of the house’s journey. A spectacle like this was realized. time, space and style.
Shiny striped coats with curvaceous silhouettes opened the show, and their adornments and accessories were imbued with the kind of futuristic couture that Ghesquière had mastered during his tenure. This coat reflected Ghesquière’s penchant for “collisions of references” and set the stage for a collection that often deliberately deceives and dazzles the eye by reimagining the old as new. Giant petal-like fabrics encircle the models’ necks, evoking a nod to South American flair and punk, a true hybrid aesthetic that makes Ghesquière’s work unmistakable.
The show leant towards a religious tone, with priestly robes of flowing proportions and comically oversized black chains adorned with cross-like decorations.
But even though many of the pieces have their own unique flair, the sheer difference in style can sometimes feel overwhelming. One particular black and white floral split dress seemed confusing to the eye, with its intricate pattern making it difficult for the audience to discern where the dress ended and the underdress began. . This tendency to integrate multiple aesthetic elements has sometimes led to visual overload. Miu Miu researches young people and uses A-listers as models
If there’s anyone who can redefine fashion by dipping into their nursery wardrobe, it’s Miuccia Prada. This season, Prada’s irreverent and intellectual sister, Miu Miu, reflected on youth and the liberating simplicity and honesty it brings to thought and dress.
The brand is famous for blurring the line between sophistication and play, so it’s no wonder that baby cotton chemisettes took center stage, transforming them into something completely complex through Prada’s deft manipulation.
This deceptively complex collection, which begins with a crisp white cotton dress, borrows directly from childhood and is the result of a collaboration with Petit Bateau. Chemidette dresses, sweaters, and twisted shirts became subversive statements, folded, wrapped, and twisted in the wrong ways to create something completely fresh. result? This charm, which Prada herself called “insincere,” is a mischievous fit for Miu Miu’s rebellious spirit. It’s the spirit of a girl who refuses to conform just because she can, by wearing tights over her clothes or wearing sweaters in unconventional ways.
The sense of playful contrast, where an innocent wardrobe becomes provocative, captures one of Miu Miu’s long-standing stories. In other words, youth is a state of construction, where rules are fluid and experimentation is free. It is a continuation of Prada’s love of subversiveness and polarity, mixing raw imperfections with poise and twisting practical comfort into silhouettes that exude boldness.
Prada has assembled a notable cast including Alexa Chung, Willem Dafoe, Cara Delevingne and Hilary Swank. Familiar names from all corners of the art world were here as comfortable in front of the camera as they were treading a Miu Miu board.
What Miuccia Prada excels at is her ability to inject humor, a kind of eye-catching humor, into serious fashion. And, as Prada herself once said, sometimes we have to choose between being a child and being a dying woman. For this collection, we chose the former.
This article has been corrected to show that Erykah Badu did not attend the Chanel fashion show.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to the text.
