Today’s Chanel show reminded me of the organic, yet undeniably futuristic

sensibility you get from watching an advert for a Mercedes-Benz electric vehicle. It’s the
car’s definitive sleekness that arises from such a simplistic silhouette that can be found in
the house’s latest installment of spring couture. The freshness of the show came not only
from the neutral color palette, but also from the lush green lawn of a rural, minimalist
garden. The absolute refinement of the set completely contradicts with Karl’s latest
ready-to-wear offer at terminal number 5, where models wearing contrasting retro-like
airport motifs swiftly ambled through an airport that is typically thought of as hustle-and-
bustle, but made into the most luxurious chaos where chaos would be too harsh of a word
for an environment which seemed way too stylish. Chanel collections are synonymous
for crafting such a perfect binary; an opposition of tradition mixed with innovation.

Karl referred to the collection as “high fashion ecology” and it was in fact just
that. The zen-like, almost spiritual atmosphere (thanks to the Japanese inspired
dollhouse-chashitsu hybrid) in the Grand Palais allowed for one to detach from our
troubling times, rather than react to them. This meant “fashion-mindfulness” in terms of
material and theme, equated with pure luxury in this case. The set is a common place of
today- the backyard - where families share life with one another and children play ball;
however, they were never previously presented in the context of couture. I feel
that Jacqueline Kennedy would appreciate this episode of Chanel, unrestrictedly playing
with her son in the backyard yet still managing to look impeccably elegant. It seems
astonishing that the same venue had been a high-tech, noisy airport months ago or a
violent, Ex-Machina casino and is now a water lily pond, a slatted wood pavilion, and a
large, serene space perfectly suited for yoga.

Spring 2016 utilized that same precision in detail that is the norm for the house
but tailored for our technologically-dominant world. Many of the looks featured a
meticulously embellished belt that reveals a square pocket to carry your smartphone.
What makes the fashion industry still captivated by couture till this day is its homage to
traditional handiwork and its extraordinary craftsmanship. This time, Karl’s seamstresses
made materials that did not exist before. Usually when one thinks “sustainable fashion”,
they are brought to visions of mass-market or specifically “eco-conscious” labels but
never high-end luxury brands. Humble materials such as straw and wood-chips were used
to symbolize this theme. Normally in couture, the seamstresses make embroideries with
existing materials but not in this case. The fabrications were designed and created from
scratch, which deserves the label “extreme-couture” not just “couture”. It’s something
that shouldn’t come as a surprise to those who follow Chanel’s couture division but there
was something so out-of-this-world about the embellishments, beading, and pleats that I
feel are impossible to admire without touching the pieces yourself and, hopefully (in
heaven), getting to wearing one of them.