Karl Lagerfeld is one of, or
maybe, the best showman in fashion. He can definitely create a vision and show
season after season, which dazzles an audience. And one knows how hard it is to
dazzle a tough crowd, especially after seeing show after show. For spring 2015, Karl Lagerfeld opened the
Chanel haute couture collection with a live-action garden, constructed of
paper. A spell binding performance, of vivid paper flowers, that opened and reveal
a colorful tropical garden. The clothes that followed where the blossoming floral
or art and craft that Karl imagined for Chanel haute couture.
Of course a fun, and magical show
to watch, one must understand the mission of each show is to sell clothes to
private clients. All things aside, the clothes stood out as wearable,
functional pieces, one would expect from the world’s most profitable couture
house. I viewed the collection
privately, at Chanel’s New York show room, the way most private clients would
and was simply impressed by each piece individually, in all its beauty and
details. This season, most suits were cut on the bias, to glide over the body,
while the shoulders were kept strong, yet round and soft. Tweeds were made
over-textured by weaving in ribbons and sewing them to a tulle base to keep
them light as a feather. One suit, look # 16, was deceptively simple tweed, but
was in fact a lace base with tweed yarns woven into it, creating one of the
softest, and coolest tweeds to wear in the summer. Any client could walk away
with a simple shift in this fabric, and it would be the most perfect piece one
could own.
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| Look #16: Lace suit with Tweed thread embroidered to look like classic Chanel Tweed. |
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| Chiffon pleated Top and Skirt with 3-D flower embroidered bolero |
Dresses were airy and light, or
fully embellished with 3-D floral motifs. The amount of detail and work that
went into creating these pieces was astounding. I mentioned to the Directrice,
these embroideries where too precious to be worn, and better off hanging on the
wall as art! Even skirts and underlying’s that look like a matte crepe, was actually
hundreds-of-thousands of matte micro-sequins, painstakingly applied by hand. Skirt back vents, where adorned with an invisible
layer of silk tulle, or decorated with crystal buttons. All this attention and work
would undoubtedly go un-noticed to the untrained eye, but that does not phase
the house of Chanel, there focus is the client and her happiness, and that’s what
makes haute couture so much more special.
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| Bias cut suit, creates a seamless effect |
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| Sequined tunic dress, with embroidered tulle gown worn under. |
photos by Ruben Fajardo and Style.com