Show Notes: It Was An Ode To Tweed Over At Chanel
Virginie Viard converted the Grand Palais Ephemere into a tweed wonderland for Chanel's Fall/Winter 2022 show.
By Imran Jalal ,
It may sound obvious to talk about tweed when Chanel is concerned. But when Virginie Viard dedicated an entire Fall/Winter 2022 collection to the heritage fabric of Scotland, perhaps it's worth taking notice.
The woven fabric traditionally used for men's outerwear till about a century ago has been reimagined by Gabrielle Chanel as early as '20s when she introduced it into her womenswear designs – the chief example being the Maison's tweed jackets.
The Mademoiselle was a fan of the robust material and developed a fondness for tweed suits thanks to her beau the Duke of Westminster. She often wore the Duke's oversized tweed jackets which he donned for their fishing and hunting excursions during the couple's vacation to their summer home of Rosehall Estate, according to the National Records of Scotland.
Inez and Vinoodh captured the swinging energy of '60s Youthquake with a series of images of the model Vivienne Rohner dancing in the midst of a landscape shrouded in fog reminiscent of the Scottish countryside.
Through the years, tweed has been refined and experimented with. Variations include those that weave in luxurious silk and other coloured yarns which the house dubs as Fantasy tweed. And the repertoire of the tweed at Chanel's disposal is limitless – the brand reportedly sources from various manufacturers from all corners of the world including Scotland, Italy and Japan for its tweed.
Viard was obviously smitten by Chanel's and the Duke's love story and that inspiration led her to create a jubilant and joyful ode to the fabric (she even swathed the floor, set and seats in tweed). “There’s nothing sexier than wearing the clothes of the person you love," she said. “Of course, I’m fascinated by this ever-contemporary gesture. And it’s Chanel that renders the tweed feminine.”
Scroll on for our observations from the runway show.
The colour palette of Viard’s collection paid homage to the 156 km-long River Tweed which gave this iconic fabric its name. Shades of deep blue, purple, burgundy, pink and shimmering gold referenced the colours of nature in the Scottish landscape. In fact, the show notes mentioned: "This is what Gabrielle Chanel would do on her walks through the Scottish countryside: she would gather ferns and bouquets of flowers to inspire the local artisans for the tones she wanted.”
How do you present tweed for a new generation of Chanel consumers? For a start, Viard looked to the Swinging Sixties and the age of Youthquake for leads (did we mention the soundtrack was by The Beatles?). That resulted in a more casual take on layering, with mismatched tweed skirt suits, tweed jackets with hot shorts and tight skirts and subtly masculine outerwear made from tweed for a little borrowed-from-the-boyfriend dressing.
Moshing in our wellies used to be the preserve of music festivals in post-Covid times. But walking around in rubber shoes is practical these days given the freak weather we're facing. And while you're at it, why not consider the chic black and rubber versions by Chanel which come with the brand double C logo?
Love the twee revival in fashion? Then you might want to consider Chanel's long socks to be part of your wardrobe when they hit stores in the latter part of this year. The schoolgirl staple was paired with the tight sheath dresses and tight skirts in the collection for a decidedly coquettish effect.
To complement the models' demure curls, Chanel added hair barrettes and hairpins decorated with floral motifs and the double C emblem into the hair.
Some of the models sported long sautoir necklaces that came with bright yellow pendants that looked like Swiss Army knives. We've reached out to the brand for clarification on this – the item is actually a mini comb inspired by a pocket knife. Kudos to Viard for her witty gorpcpore take on interpreting the outdoorsy chic of Scotland.