“Florals? For spring? Groundbreaking.” Miranda Priestly had said this, in her characteristically sarcastic way, in the movie ‘Devil Wears Prada’. But she didn’t know that time that Karl Lagerfeld has a flair for turning mundane design elements into dramatic fashion lines.
Ms Priestly would have eaten her words if she had witnessed the Chanel Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2015 show. The set itself was enough inspire wonder and awe (as is always true with Mr Lagerfeld’s set decors), with white Origami inspired sticks blooming into colourful flora! Followed with an explosion of colours, bold and pastels, the couture that came on the stage, personified the humble flower to create magnificent clothing.
Pencil-cut skirts, tweed jackets with wide necklines, wide-brimmed hats, and flowers overflowing in most of the attires, this collection is a visual feast. You’ll find yourself in the midst of tropical scenes, as much because of the decor as the couture.
Starting the show with three simple, and very Chanel, skirt and jacket in solid, terrific shades of bright yellow, electric blue, sun orange, the collection veered off to another route with shorter jackets, lightly veiled hats, chiffon dresses and tulle skirts. Long skirts are worn with short tops with Peter Pan and lavallière collars or with delicate pleated blouses.
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Notice the appearance of flowers. Multi-coloured or otherwise, gathered together or spread around, they create a fairy-tale land. The tulle tunics are embroidered with rhodoid flowers. They explode over from flared, sequinned skirts. Long coats have an assortment of flowers at the bottom, adding an anchor point.
Honestly, there is not much to say, but more to see in this collection. The detail is in how Mr Lagerfeld has reinvented florals to make a contemporary collection, yet giving us a throwback of the vintage. Giving us a glimpse into the un-frilled, chic designs of Coco Chanel due to which she became popular, while also embellishing them to entice the fashionista today. Enjoy the wonderland…
