Karl Lagerfeld chose the Elbphilharmonie as the architectural setting for a collection that highlights French exception. Embroiderers Maison Lesage and Atelier Montex, milliner Maison Michel, feathermaker Lemarié, and shoemaker Massaro… all of these ancestral crafts now belong to Chanel. This time, Karl Lagerfeld is going back to the roots. The result: nautical nods, a navy chromatic scheme, and iridescent effects inspired by the flamboyant reflections of the sun on the Elbphilharmonie.
Among the 87 looks that went down the runway, one stands out in particular: a suit with a navy collar that goes further down in back, tied together with a tie, and recalling a number of clichés from the era that Coco Chanel lived in when she wore this bespoke suit. It’s said that the navy collar has its origins in the fact that sailors in those days were crazy about paving their braids. This was indeed the key hairstyle for the runway – braids, in every sense.
The Coco suit was created by Lesage and required more than four meters of fabric. Upon seeing this runway which is once more rich in references, one can’t help but thinking that Karl Lagerfeld has hit his mark by giving the Hamburg of yesteryear a twist to provide women of today with something that’s elegant yet different. Is this not the same game that Gabrielle Chanel played? She would indeed take many a piece from men, from the striped sweater to the peacoat with jackets aplenty in between.
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