“The idea for the show’s décor came from a longstanding desire to work with Xavier Veilhan. His references to constructivism remind me of those of Karl Lagerfeld”, says Virginie Viard. “I like this similarity of spirit between us, now and across time. In addition to creating the show décor with its references to the avant-gardes of the 1920s and 1930s, Xavier wanted to work with Charlotte Casiraghi. His artistic universe is full of horses and Charlotte is a skilled rider.”
Charlotte Casiraghi opens the show on horseback, wearing a Chanel jacket made of black tweed and sequins, while Sébastien Tellier plays oversized instruments imagined by the artist. “Xavier and Sébastien are friends. Along with Charlotte, they form the kind of Chanel family that I like to surround myself with.”
This décor, a nod to the aesthetics of Universal Exhibitions, acted as a framework “where I felt very free”, adds Virginie Viard. “These geometric shapes made me want contrasts, a great lightness and a lot of freshness: ethereal dresses that float as if suspended. Lots of flounces, fringes, macramé, bright lace, iridescent tweeds, colourful jewelled buttons.” Femininity too, with a pink tweed jacket with white stripes, straps composed of white braid embroidered with beads or silver chains, two-tone Mary-Janes with heels inspired by the 1920s revisited via the 1980s, and finely geometric embroidery, as if echoing the décor. All of the House of Chanel’s embroidery partners collaborated on this collection, “one of whose key pieces is a dress entirely embroidered by Lesage with constructivist camellias in black, white and coral beads, worn with a little black jacket”, Virginie Viard points out before concluding: “These references also belong to Gabrielle Chanel, of course. It’s like a conversation that crosses time.”
