CHANEL

For the 15-minute show, Chanel whisked fashion insiders far away from the bustle of the nearby Champs-Elysees. Slack-jawed VIP guests, fatigued from nine days of back-to-back urban runway displays, marvelled in near-relief at the expanse of water and masses of golden sand inside the lofty venue.

The water touched an immense trompe l’oeil photo backdrop of a sea-view, complete with distant mountains and clouds speckling the sky. A tropical hut led to a wooden walkway from which Lagerfeld, 85, waved. Barefoot models, some wearing straw black-ribbon hats, held their heels and waterproof sandals in their hands as they paraded 82 outfits across the sandy runway. Instead of bathing suits, the models wore the house’s signature tweed skirt suits in soft, pastel colours.