Legendary French label Chanel is known for its ability to surprise and renew itself while adhering to the stylistic canon established throughout the years. Recently, at Paris’ Grand Palais, the fashion house left everyone speechless with its latest collection of purses and handbags (fall-winter 2014-2015), an unforgettable explosion of colors and shapes. Watch the video here.
The message conveyed by this collection is clear: Creative Director Karl Lagerfeld seems to have found a source of inexhaustible inspiration in the “Warholian” vision of consumerism, which de-contextualizes the most common products to transform them into art objects. On this occasion, the king of fashion presented a series of handbags and purses that become obvious references to daily life and consumer culture.
But it was not only the flashy clothes and colorful accessories that made Chanel’s presentation a unique event. The show itself oozed creativity. More than 1,300 fascinated guests walked through the Grand Palais, which was transformed into a supermarket whose aisles would later become the catwalk for the 80 models featured in the show. With unabashed humor, the products on the shelves bore the Chanel label.
As on any given day, the models appeared along the corridors wearing the creations from the new collection: metal supermarket baskets masterfully decorated, a tote here, a pouch there, all colored with intense tones ranging from orange to fuchsia, or adorned with radiant patches that made up the legendary emblem of the brand.
The handbag’s designs draw inspiration from everyday shopping. Hence the mesh bags adorned with wide and functional handles, the elegant handbags that evoke the plastic bags from the grocery store or the small black clutches that remind us of egg containers, with long braided chains made of leather and metal.
There is no doubt that Lagerfeld takes time addressing every detail. That is why he managed to turn a fashion show into a genuine pop art display. And although his extravagant bags are all the rage, the collection also included other pieces that remind us of the classic Chanel aesthetic: tweed-trimmed leather bags with metal accents. The color palette shows a variety that goes from subtle pastels to the brightest red.
These bags are unrelated to the Lego-inspired pieces from the firm’s previous collection. But once again, Lagerfeld and his team have managed to leave the audience wanting to know what they will come up with next time. ■
