Constructing garments by hand from start to finish is not an easy thing to do. When it comes to haute couture, it takes a lot of talent, experience and, frankly, an eye for detail if a flawless result is what you aim for. As anyone would expect, the CHANEL Ateliers constitute the very embodiment of this ideal.
Some of the world’s most capable seamstresses work tirelessly to infuse life into Karl Lagerfeld’s “articulate” sketches. The procedure is long and technical, beginning with a cotton toile until the final stage where a consensus between the “flou” atelier and the “tailoring” atelier is reached. Meanwhile though, a difficult creative process must be carried out, during which 60 or 70 looks must be approved and then, assembled, sewn and meticulously embroidered.
In the end, the truth of the matter is rather obvious. CHANEL is not just about fabrics and patterns. As CHANEL's head seamstress, Josette, put it “CHANEL is an allure, a way of doing things, a savoir faire. CHANEL is magic”.
For Karl Lagerfeld, Paris is but a constant source of inspiration whether the focus is on the city’s glamorous side or the decadent one. Judging by the small details and the artistic result of the CHANEL Fall-Winter 2018/19 Haute Couture Show in its entirety, we can safely say that, this time, the postwar Parisian vibe is the foundation on which the fashion virtuoso chose to express his vision.
The Grand Palais in Paris was once again the venue Karl used in order to transmute the raw material of his thought into an actual concept. The magnificent Institut de France served as the main element of a stage that evokes the city’s classic aesthetics in which the creative mogul has been immersed since his late teens.
Tweeds, chiffons, failles, long skirts with provocative slits, sleek ankle boots and shiny metallics are some of the key components of Karl’s moodboard for this collection. With a careful look at the catwalk, one can see the CHANEL norms being deconstructed and then getting sewn back together in a rebellious and rockabilly kind of way.
The past meets the future on a promenade through Paris while the change comes from within.
CHANEL: THE FW 2018/19 HAUTE COUTURE SHOW
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THE CHANEL ATELIERS AND THE GENTLE ART OF TAILORING