Le Corbusier, Flip Flops, and Sublimity at Chanel Haute Couture

As is the Lagerfeld way, Chanel Haute Couture reinterpreted the historical and the histrionic for a clean, modern, and staggeringly innovative collection. The cream, charcoal, ice blue, and fiery red ensembles might even appear stark if not for their ornate gold embellishments and intricate fabrics.

Classic Chanel tweeds, tulle, and chiffon were combined with concrete, a tribute to Le Corbusier’s ardor for the material. Thanks to a technique that took three years to perfect, concrete was—for the first time—perforated, embroidered, and trimmed with pearl and crystal.

As per the spring/summer 2014 haute couture collection, corsets reappeared, this time matched with voluminous, round skirts, for a seamless, visionary silhouette. Other gowns took on tulle-covered feathers and empire waists, a streamlined ode to 18th-century France.

Mindful of his recent track record of unconventional footwear, Lagerfeld’s quiffed models sported almost exclusively des tongs très chic (very chic flip flops). The sandals relaxed the sophisticated, flawlessly constructed clothing, thus grounding a collection that reached sublime heights.