With the notion of a traditionally elaborate and no-holds-barred Chanel show setting off the table, artistic director Virginie Viard looked closer to home. Rather, to showcase the Spring Summer ’21 Haute Couture collection, she put together an intimate family gathering of sorts.
The inter-generational reunion took place at the Grand Palais, with the women floating down the floral-lined steps one after another as if coming together for a wedding. “I love big family reunions, when the generations all come together,” Viard said. “It’s so warm. There’s this spirit at Chanel today. Because Chanel is also like a family. I wanted to bring the models together for family photos, like those you can see in photo albums.
To go alongside the runway images, Dutch photographer and filmmaker Anton Corbijn photographed the ‘family’ of models in salon-stye portraits. Of course, the bride, in her vintage-style butterfly and pearl-embroidered satin dress and veil, was front and center. As this is Chanel we’re speaking about, longtime house ambassadors Marion Cotillard, Penélope Cruz, and real life mom and daughter Vanessa Paradis and Lily-Rose Depp were among those snapped at the newly-redecorated Haute Couture Salons at 31 rue Cambon in Paris.
Other ‘guests’ at the family celebration embodied the sartorial freedom of summer soirées that we’re all yearning for right now: in tiered petticoats, flouncy georgette numbers, delicate lace, macramé and feather frocks, and even tutus. Indeed, it was the type of fashion extravaganza you’d expect to see when your whole clan gets together again, with everything from mother of the bride tweed sets in pastel tones to the showstopper gown your aunt would pull out to remind you she’s cooler than your traditionally-leaning, trousers-wearing mom. And because there’s no simply family fun without a little dancefloor action, models debuted double strap pumps that were just made for doing the Tango.
See the full collection below:
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