Chanel: Cashing In at the Casino

 I didn’t want to rush this post. Waking up yesterday to an Instagram feed overflowing with Chanel’s dazzling haute couture show in Paris was like looking at the sun for too long: I needed time to recover.

A defiant display of Chanel’s creative superiority in terms of both the staging and the couture itself, Chanel continues to outshine its usurpers to the fashion throne. So let’s get down to the nitty-gritty.

The Staging

We were transported to the glamorous, hedonistic world of gambling when the Grand Palais underwent a metamorphic change to become a casino/arena. Central casino tables housed celebrities and models, with the haute couture models circulating through the space between the tables and the surrounding audience.

Kristen Stewart, Julianne Moore and Lara Stone partake in the show.

The exquisite clothes are paraded 

   

The Casino Tables

Let me start by saying that I have no idea how Kristen Stewart continues to embed herself into the fashion world, but she looked incredible in that black velvet trouser suit. Stewart and Julianne Moore (wearing a teal velvet dress) waltzed arm-in-arm, complimenting one another perfectly. 

Other celebrities including Lily Collins, Lily-Rose Depp, and Rita Ora convened at the tables, engaging in mock-play and adding to the theatre of the show. The A-listers taking part in the performance all wore pieces from the latest collection, and my personal favourite was Lily-Rose Depp’s. Simple, chic and envy-inducing, it was Chanel to a tee (or should I say dress?).

  

The Couture

Now to the focal point: the couture. It was overwhelmingly stunning. An array of glitzy, luxurious Chanel suits kicked the show off, followed by an interlude of cream and satin, an influx of metallics and sequins, then flowing dresses, and a suit-clothed bride to finish. It was a beautiful onslaught of opulence.

  

There is something about Chanel, particularly apparent in this show, which seems to empower the woman who wears it. A Chanel garment emphasises the strength and success of its wearer (and not just because you need quite a few casino chips to buy it!) without causing a reduction of their femininity.

Who will win the accolade of best haute couture show? Somebody throw some chips my way, I need to place a bet on Chanel.