THE FASHION WORLDS OF CHANEL.

Known for his creative and artist transformations of the runway, Karl Lagerfeld has again defied the odds during the Chanel fashion show at Paris Fashion Week 2017. The fashion show echoed memories of what he labeled “high fashion ecology”, the Spring/Summer 16 Haute Couture as well as the Jacqueline Tailleur honorary show during Fall16/17.  These shows are signified by Karl’s ability to create and showcase the imagined world of Chanel, sharing its sentiments and connotations around fashion, art and creativity. 

There is an interplay of inspiration between ecology, art and creativity merged through the collection and the imagined world of the S/S 16 Haute Couture fashion show. It remains one of the remarkable and breathtaking shows of Chanel in Fashion Week history. Haute Couture pieces are handmade and known to last a lifetime, which signified the theme of “environmental-friendliness” of the show. The celebration of nature was artistically infused in the collection by use of wood, recycled paper as well as organic woven yarn. The suits and skirts were embroidered with wooden chips used as beading. Equally, ‘The wedding look” was made from wild cotton. The show completely disregarded the processes of fast fashion by explicitly portraying Haute Couture pieces as having no impacts on the ecological environment.

The A/W16 Haute Couture fashion show remains one of the most significant and eye opening moments in fashion week history. Arguments centred around the acknowledgement and appreciation of tailor makers have lingered around fashion writers and bloggers, as well as fashion enthusiasts, especially during fashion weeks. More often, creatives behind the scenes are disregarded and credit always granted to the faces of the brands. The tailor makers bring to life the fashionable sketches drawn by designers, and the show was made to acknowledge their power and contribution to the fashion world. Chanel’s petites mains (French, meaning seamstress) were the centre stage for the collection, showcasing the material, precision and details of the garments on the runway. There was a presence of sewing machines, fabrics and their samples, sketches, pins, needles are everything crucial for a garment to become alive. The show ended with a beautiful moment of appreciation with Karl Lagerfeld and the ateliers of the Chanel Haute Couture.

The “out of this world” show that impressed everyone in fashion and had us talking is the recent A/W17 that took place in Paris Fashion Week 17, that is still underway. The audience was literally ushered into space station to witness the space inspired collection. With the theme of ground control, the collection featured astronaut prints, metallic, glitter, and a combination of white and metallic silver on the clothing. The transformation of the Grand Palais to the space world was also achieved through the music that evoked feelings of curiosity of what else the world offered. Karl drew inspiration from astronaut clothing by infusing the neckline reminiscent of a space suit in most pieces. The show presented one of the most creative and unexpected but yet captivating “realities” of the Chanel fashion world. Magnificent indeed.

Karl Lagerfeld will forever be acknowledged of his creative ways that bring transformation to the ordinary runway. This connotates the uniqueness of Chanel fashion shows and makes it standout during fashion weeks. There are a lot of significant moments that Karl has presented, serving to educate and enforce social change, the women’s protests and support of feminism being one of them. Being in the presence of such environments grants the audience firsthand experience of the imagined worlds of Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel as a trademark. 

Acknowledgement: vogue.com and fashionista.com 

Pictures obtained from Twitter #Chanel

With love from Precious Mohale.