By Noelle Loh,
A club might connote glitz and glamour, but for Virginie Viard – artistic director of Chanel where effortlessness has always been a cornerstone – it’s also a space that allows one to be informal and truly free. Presented at the French nightlife institution Chez Castel, the brand’s Fall/Winter 2021 collection is an ode to "cool Parisian chic” spanning the ’70s to now. Here, an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at its make and low-key magic.
Sportswear – or more specifically skiwear – influences add youthfulness and a jocular ease while Viard’s approach to costume jewellery is equally light-hearted: flirty metal drop earrings, pendants and even hand-chains embellished with trails of strass, pearls and charms to contrast the collection’s masculine tailoring.
A house icon and fundamental since the ’50s, the brand’s tweed jacket – modelled after men’s Austrian jackets and meant to offer freedom of movement when worn with a slim skirt – gets an opulent makeover. The one here features the outer’s signature herringbone pattern recreated in sequinned embroidery; a silk lining with camellia motifs; and strass buttons to reflect light (and imbue a touch of disco).
Among the many unexpected, cocktail-appropriate interpretations of the brand’s trusty skirt suit in the collection: This rendition crafted from iridescent canvas for comfort as much as shine, complete with a swingy pleated skirt with a daring side slit.
Viard continues Chanel’s legacy in trendy, often witty upgrades of wardrobe staples with her signature eclecticism and reverence for the brand. The figure 22 logo patch – embroidered by the metier d’art Montex – on this turtleneck bib top is a reference to the number of trials the maison had gone through before arriving at the successful formulation of its No. 5 perfume, which celebrates its centennial this year. Jazzing up those track-inspired cotton pants? Hand-applied sequins and hot fix crystals.
And this is how to make ’90s fashion timeless and tasteful. The series of exuberant, long-haired shearling coats in the collection was a reimagination of the ones from the brand’s Fall/Winter 1994 season – a breakthrough at the time for its extensive use of faux fur. Meanwhile the pairing of strong, masculine tailoring – sometimes worn off-shoulder like a shrug – with diaphanous dresses was inspired by the nonchalant elegance of the brand’s androgynous late model/muse Stella Tennant.
For an all-occasion keeper of a cardigan: This long cashmere design that’s trimmed with short strands of pearls – there are between 4,500 and 5,000 of them – all embroidered by hand along the collar, button band and pockets.
A version of this article first appeared in the October 2021 Life Is Beautiful edition of FEMALE