A splash of l’eau couture
Has Karl Lagerfeld been taking note of Brigitte Macron’s weapon of choice? The abbreviated skirt lengths at Chanel seemed to be directly aimed at France’s first lady who has notably favoured Louis Vuitton mini skirts and dresses for many of her public outings.
Lagerfeld has always been an astute observer of social moods while also not caring a hoot about political correctness. Against the impressive (and expensive) rocky escarpment and waterfalls that had been temporarily installed in the Grand Palais, his models paraded a succession of flood-chic. Clear plastic trenches, coats, thigh-high boots, gloves, bags, boaters and jewellery ... only their underwear had not been waterproofed. Or so one may assume.
There was a lot of water. Perhaps this was all a metaphor for the abundant liquidity of the Chanel house, which will doubtless receive a boost when those transparent patent-toed waders become cult items. Or perhaps the cascading water was an allusion to the gallons of Chanel scent that make this one of the most successful luxury
houses in the world – according to The Perfume Shop, Chanel No5 has topped the list of most popular scents in the UK for the past 25 years. At any rate all that H20 irrigated Lagerfeld’s imagination: shimmering Thirties-style cocktail dresses in apricot or ivory, iridescent tweeds, semi-sheer woven basket skirts and a blue ripple-effect print on chiffon gowns contributed to the impression of a theme that had been comprehensively explored. The jumpsuit – now a given in most collections – made its mark here in ecru tweed. Blue eyeshadow, often considered a fashion faux pas, was a major statement (Madame Macron is a fearless champion of the dark lid) and bangles and bracelets were worn over the top of clear gauntlets. And double bagging was de rigueur – usually a small quilted shoulder bag and a matching tote, both featuring a new Chanel print with appliquéd Chanel letters on it. You will have surmised that double bagging chez Chanel does not mean quite the same thing as when you use two plastic carriers in Asda to avoid splitting.