Fashion Bytes: Chanel Walks on Water at Paris Fashion Week

Photos by Indigital Images

Welcome to Fashion Bytes, a cheat sheet for your favorite runway designers. From style inspirations to behind-the-scenes scoops, here’s everything worth knowing at Paris Fashion Week Spring 2018.

The brand: Chanel

The history: Iconoclast Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel’s now iconic tweed suits and little black dresses were a revolution in the 1920s. Her black-and-white palette and borrowed-from-the-boys designs rebelled against the restrictive dress codes of the 19^th century by introducing society women to the elegance and comfort of simplicity. She remains the most internationally identifiable name in high fashion.

The designer: Karl Lagerfeld became artistic director and designer for Chanel in 1983. After his first show at the Rue Cambon, Lagerfeld lamented, “Once upon a time Chanel was old hat. It was only Parisian doctors’ wives who still wore it. Nobody wanted it, it was hopeless.” Indeed, the German reinvented the house by carefully referencing Coco Chanel’s classic constructions (pearl strands, quilted leather, linked C’s, cap-toe pumps) through the lens of popular culture.

The show: Not one for subtle stagecraft, Lagerfeld’s past runways have featured faux supermarkets, rockets, airports, casinos and even an Eiffel tower in Paris’s Grand Palais. For spring 2018, Chanel channeled the drama of nature, constructing an indoor waterfall complete with rock cliffs and a boardwalk. Like glass cases, models wore pellucid rain gear (bucket hats, capes, ponchos, wellies, even gloves) over colorful tweeds and silks, traversing the scene like fashionable tourists at Niagara. Lurex fringe, Perspex accessories and clear plastic coverings wryly contrasted with the artificial/natural landscape. The clothes were best when ruffles cascaded, netting hung like mist, crystals glinted, emulating water’s elemental properties.

The F-row: Model mom Cindy Crawford sat with fashion photog Patrick Demarchelier, Chanel ambassadors Vanessa Paradis and Caroline de Maigret, and Korean pop star G Dragon.

The verdict: There’s a lot to love for Chanel groupies, including many new handbag styles (glasslike minaudières, pouches with armbands) and luxury Lagerfeld options to protect your garb.

Chanel is available in selected Nordstrom locations. Chat, email or call 1.877.543.7463 for more information.

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