The Chanel FW 21-22 fashion show that plays with contrasts opens with a video made by the duo Inez & Vinoodh. Castel, its many lounges, the spiral staircase, its bar and its warm and welcoming home style are the background of a fashion show that revises its iconic codes to adapt to a contemporaneity that requires warmth and liveliness. The models, says Virginie Viard creative director of the Maison, prepare themselves for the catwalk: they put on make-up, get dressed, play with each other as if at a sleepover, just as, from the stories of the unforgettable Karl Lagerfeld, it happened long ago.
Contrasts are the protagonists not only of the mood of the entire short film but of the collection itself, which mixes volumes, materials and spirit. Tweed is a great protagonist of the collection, revisited in a more comfy and enveloping way, on oversized coats with a relaxed fit, or on coordinated suits embellished with lurex threads. The dresses all have spaghetti straps and sheer textures that reveal sophisticated bra and fitted bodices in lace and sequins. The big news of the collection are the quilted overalls-suits, reminiscent of snowwear, with red and blue motifs or in fuchsia tweed, worn with strappy sandals embellished with black chains and bows or décolleté adorned with a camellia. Blouses in chiffon or crêpe de Chine are combined with pieces inspired by winter sportswear, such as wide trousers with side pockets and tweed cropped jackets to be worn with faux fur boots. Winks at snowwear are also outerwear, declined in nylon and quilted trench coats, in cropped eco furs and oversized and sleeveless puffer jackets. The color palettes play with the nuances dear to the maison: red, blue, fuchsia and black intertwine with multicolor patterns and total lilac outfits.
Accessories are the detail that softens the looks and reconnects them to the iconic Chanel style: strings of pearls give life to sautoir necklaces, oversized collars soften the oversized sweaters and chains to wear around the neck, at the waist, or as a garter to complete the look. The iconic Chanel bags are dressed in metallic textures and new colors such as blue and fuchsia, while the hats become wool beanies embellished with the emblematic symbols of the house: camellias and brooches with double C. To close the show a tribute to Karl Lagerfeld’s style: the models walk in the street together with Virginie, who greets the digital audience entranced by a collection that mixes the atmosphere of a holiday on the snow, with the already classic idea of Parisian cool-chic.