Guests gathered at the Grand Palais Éphémère in Paris earlier this week for the presentation of Chanel’s Fall/Winter 2022 collection. This season shone a spotlight on the house’s signature tweed in both designs and scenography, which saw the grandiose interiors of the venue transformed with a larger-than-life black tweed wall bearing the Chanel logo, spelled out in various colors of the traditional Scottish pattern.
Courtesy of Chanel.
“Devoting the entire collection to tweed is a tribute,” said Creative Director Virginie Viard. “We followed the footsteps of Gabrielle Chanel along the River Tweed, to imagine tweeds in the colours of this landscape. Like that of a long pink coat mottled with blue and purple, or a burgundy suit with a delicate gold shimmer. This is what Gabrielle Chanel would do on her walks through the Scottish countryside: she would gather ferns and bouquets of flowers to inspire the local artisans for the tones she wanted.”
Though the pattern has come to be a staple in each new Chanel collection, the maison expanded its reach across the entirety of the presentation, applying several iterations of the plaid variant to outerwear, skirts, dresses, sets, trousers, and more. In tune with the tweed-centric designs, Viard’s collection recalled 1960s London in both silhouettes and an almost-psychedelic palette, which saw bright pops of pinks, blues, greens, purples, and yellows setting a spirited mood.
Taking on a schoolgirl lightheartedness were miniature dresses with high necks, short skirts with jackets, and slouchy cardigans and sweaters. These were seen styled with a mismatched approach, ample layering, and plentiful accessories—comprising looks like an orange dress and sweater with turquoise stockings, rain boots, layered necklaces, and a quilted cross-body bag; or a pair of tan leather pants worn with a pink double C sweater and a neck scarf.
As the collection unfolded, we saw looks with a more mature attitude imbued through slightly longer hems, deeper hues, and a transition from rain boots to heels or pointy-toed flats. These looks encompassed styles like leather flare pants with cargo jackets, double-breasted coats without collars, and skirts that fell below the knees, which were often paired with cable knit stockings. The lean towards oversized and comfortable shapes, Viard suggested, was a reference to Mademoiselle Chanel’s aptitude for wearing clothing belonging to the Duke of Westminster.
“There’s nothing sexier than wearing the clothes of the person you love,” said Viard. “Of course, I’m fascinated by this ever-contemporary gesture. And it’s CHANEL that renders the tweed feminine.”
Courtesy of Chanel.
Finally, the presentation was complete with a suite of evening wear, which also took a comfortable approach with loose or flowing silhouettes. These looks encompassed styles like a simplistic strapless dress in gray tweed, a black lace silhouette with long sleeves and a plunging neckline, a swinging pair of pants with a metallic jacket worn around the shoulders, and a long silky trapeze gown in hot pink.
Courtesy of Chanel.
Courtesy of Chanel.
Courtesy of Chanel.
