Le Cercle Privé, Chanel’s AW15 Couture show, was set inside a casino, yet Lagerfeld took no gambles with his illustrious house’s time-honoured codes.
The show began with a parade of the house’s most familiar muses: Kristen Stewart, Julianne Moore, Lily Collins and Vanessa Paradis alongside her strikingly elegant daughter, Lily-Rose Depp. Each one was dressed in a custom creation, and sparkling with exquisite re-works of the Bijoux de Diamants jewellery collection, originally created by Madame Chanel in 1932. The ladies took their seats around the poker table, and the presentation began: 67 looks of unwaveringly polished Chanel indulgence.
The Chanel couture client is an enduring and passionate collector, yet she’s also a women who lunches, lounges and lives. These are clothes not to be showcased in a pristine, preserved archive, but to be worn, loved, and enjoyed. No risks were taken with the silhouettes: nothing was restricting or intimidating, and everything was utterly wearable – a potent reminder of the enduring appeal of the house’s iconic designs.
Innovation in cut and production served to keep the looks fresh – suits were crafted in 3D using ‘selective laser sintering’ and embellished with beaded embroidery and leather braiding, while tweed jackets were updated with braided hems, painstakingly worked into the weave of the fabric.
For evening, the offering was a fairytale take on conceal and reveal, with tiers of frothy tulle and and fairytale embellishment providing delicacy and decadence. A particularly striking design, crafted from fluttering tiers of gilded feathers, is sure to hit the red-carpet jackpot.
And finally, Kendall Jenner – almost unrecognisable with her razor-cut bob – stole perhaps the most coveted role in the show, walking the isle in an ivory tuxedo: a compelling Chanel bride.
by Roberta Lister