DRAWING inspiration from the cloister garden of the Abbey of Aubazine, where Gabrielle Chanel spent a period of her childhood, Virginie Viard recreated the very ambiance under the dome of the Grand Palais to present the latest Chanel Haute Couture collection. The convent, located in the remote French region of Corrèze, is vital in understanding the development and shaping behind the stylistic mode of Chanel.
One year on since she replaced the late Karl Lagerfeld, Viard has certainly had some large shoes to fill, in addition to being the first female designer to take control of the helm of the brand since Coco Chanel herself.
The nuns who raised and educated Coco Chanel impacted on her life indelibly, as the latest Haute Couture collection encapsulated the convent girl childhood of the French fashion brand’s founder.
The runway exhibited an array of ensembles typical of Classic Chanel, back when Coco Chanel herself first established the luxury house, such as tweed, monochrome, and the camellia motif.
The abbey’s stained glass windows and paving stones were reflected in the embroideries, while pastel hues from the garden’s flowers completed the collections’ primary colour palette base. Gigi Hadid modelled a monastic black dress equipped with a pale peter pan collar and white cuffs greatly emblematic of both Coco Chanel’s school uniform and the nun’s who educated her.
Finely woven cords indicated a countryside edge, while opaque white tights, white ankle socks and black loafers reflected the principal theme of schoolgirl chic.
Each couture piece echoed a celestial beauty, in combination with the picturesque nostalgia of the convent gardens, to embody the very essence of Haute Couture, while also implying that it shouldn’t be reserved solely for special occasions.
by Cara Jenkins