Themes have become central to modern fashion shows. Just this season, we’ve seen inspirations range from Edgar Allan Poe’s poems to Albert York’s landscapes. But some prefer to root their collection’s starting point in something slightly more personal. Designers like Virginie Viard look inward to find references. For Chanel’s Fall/Winter 2024 collection, the French designer tasked herself with educating the masses on the Maison’s origins.
Chanel’s catwalk this season was built to resemble a wooden boardwalk, but not just any one — it was a precise recreation of the one in Normandy, specifically the Deauville boardwalk. The small seaside city may seem inconspicuous to non-Chanel enthusiasts, but the Maison’s history is rooted in it. In 1912, the then-milliner, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, began selling her elegant hats, quickly expanding into a clothing line. Viard’s reverence for the founder of the brand she now leads is omnipresent. Expanding beyond the catwalk, models walked out in classic Chanel tropes.
Despite the beachy setting, the collection provided options suitable for the rigid French winter. Broad-shouldered pea coats and long tweed coats came in an array of colours. Boxy tweed jackets were paired with their matching skirts. Cropped trousers appealed to the classic Chanel masculinity, while full leather looks gave the collection a 1970s edge. But the star of the show was its hats. Harkening back to its milliner days, Chanel created a beautiful and interesting collection of headwear. Viard has unlocked a new skill. Her creations were big but not heavy, elegant but not boring. By the end of the show, the artificial sunlight had started to dim — marking the end of a wonderful, even if quick, beach day spent with Chanel.
Words by Pedro Vasconcelos
