Silhouettes took on diaphanous hues, in blocks of pale mauve and sky blue and gradiations of violet, soft pink and aqua. Wide canvas trousers, tweed ensembles, poplin shirts tied with oversized bows, and ruffled chiffon dresses emerged in a palette of pastels, recalling impressionist paintings.
The new collection mixes House codes with those of traveling, and accessories echo places like Venice, Byzance and Athens — just three of the destinations posted in the station’s main hall, the theater for the Cruise 2019/20 show.
A minimalistic long evening dress in black linen etches a pure line and is edged with CHANEL’s statement chain, its effect reinforced by a high, white removable stiff shirt collar. Strict, geometrical and accessorised with a sequinned double-C brooch, this collar elongates the silhouette through the contrast of black and white.
Models walked along the platforms at the Grand Palais wearing pointed-toe pumps with small conic heels. In keeping with the spirit of CHANEL's iconic shoes, the signature two-toned pump was revisited in contrasting hues, adorned with a thin strap and a gold-tone clasp.
Presented under the nave of the Grand Palais, in the hall of a train station built specially for this occasion, the new Cruise collection is an invitation to discover new horizons.
For Cruise 2019/20, CHANEL explores new possibilities for the CHANEL tweed suit, the House's timeless icon and the epitome of the savoir-faire in its ateliers housed on the rue Cambon. Whether with a rounded, wing or standup collar, elongated with a miniskirt or A-line skirt, the jacket takes on the shades of white in pure hues, embellished with jewelled buttons and trim reprising CHANEL's signature metallic chain. Its silk chiffon lining incorporates a delicate chain to ensure the jacket falls perfectly, and coordinates with print motifs on tops embroidered with flowers.
Claudia Schiffer, Lily-Rose Depp, Liu Wen, Nana Komatsu and Keira Knightley were among the show’s guests. After seeing the collection, ambassadors and friends of the House continued their journey at Le Riviera, an Art Nouveau-inspired brasserie designed by CHANEL at the Grand Palais.
Trousers in gabardine or oiled cotton are inspired by workmen's uniforms and look exaggerated, mixing comfort and functionality. In mocha, cobalt blue or black, paired with a tailored jacket or enveloped by a long coat over a poplin blouse with a large, flounced jabot peeking out from underneath, they recall CHANEL's emblematic mix of feminine and masculine codes.
The CHANEL tweed jacket is reinvented season after season. For Cruise 2019/20, its colour palette intensifies and textural effects are multiplied, at times in downy wool and at others in delicate fabrics. Monochrome jackets in fuchsia or vivid green, bright mauve or intense pink, catch the light and illuminate dyed black jersey leggings. These long, lean silhouettes feature a waist accentuated with a gold-finished metallic chain interlaced with leather that closes with a black satin bow.
© Alix Marnat
For the Cruise 2019/20 collection, Virginie Viard revisits the bow. Oversized, it becomes a singular bustier. Slipped under a tweed suit or placed at the neckline of a guipure dress, it fastens bandeau tops in poplin for a new allure.
