The distinction “Haute Couture” implies working with cuts and couture sewing. And yet there’s none of that here. “This is Haute Couture without the couture,” declared the Kaiser. Everything was cast rather than sewn. But there was still, silhouette after silhouette, the appearance of something so exquisitely splendid it could only have been created in Chanel’s workshops, long accustomed to confronting, and mastering, the impossible. Karl Lagerfeld wanted to feel out, tear apart, and disrespect the rules with the goal of bringing out something new. In doing so he’s opened a fantasy window to certain creations, forcing the allure of insane proportions that remind us that this is indeed Haute Couture. But the silhouettes remain well-behaved, with their lengths extended.
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