Chanel takes haute couture to Paris

Luxury brand put on first show since departure of longtime creative director

PARIS:

Chanel held its haute couture show at the Paris Palais Garnier Opera house on Tuesday, displaying a lineup of sparkly evening wear that ranged from trim, embellished tweed ensembles to voluminous, silk taffeta capes.

Models emerged from the tiny doors of the historic building’s private boxes and marched down the corridors, where the audience was seated on plush, red chairs under a low, mirrored ceiling. They paraded jackets covered with bows, bustier dresses with cinched waists and fitted coats; sandals were open-toed, with short, crystal-coated heels with a ring of pearls. A traditional bride closed the show, in a floor-sweeping gown with long, puffy sleeves and a train that trailed behind.

The show was held as the French luxury house enters a transition period and gears up for design reset, following the surprise announcement earlier this month of the departure of longtime creative director Virginie Viard, who had worked alongside Karl Lagerfeld for decades before succeeding him after his death in 2019. Viard’s departure has kicked off a flurry of speculation about who will next take the industry’s most coveted designer job.

Tuesday’s venue also marked a departure for Chanel, which traditionally holds its shows at the French capital’s soaring glass and steel Grand Palais building, and, as it undergoes renovations, a temporary replacement structure under the Eiffel Tower.

The Paris haute couture shows this week have featured outings from LVMH-owned and Thom Browne, which is part of the Ermenegildo Zegna Group, and ran until June 27.