Local pop darling Narelle Kheng may wear many hats, but the one that she’s recognised most for is being 1/4 quarter of The Sam Willows and a passionate performer at heart. “The people and the energy that they give of” is what matters the most to her whenever she’s on stage, she tells us during her first Paris Fashion Week adventure with Female in March (we documented her whole experience, of which first two episodes you can watch here and here).

And her ultimate dream performace, she says, is to have a “massive show”. “From everything from the songs to the planning; the lights and the set and the costumes and the backup dancers… I would wear, like, 50 outfits,” she chirps.

Now, in the fashion world, if there’s one label that knows how to put on – and pull off – a “massive show”, it’s Chanel. Take over the fabled Ritz Paris and send models prancing through its gilded rooms? It did it two years ago for its Paris Cosmopolite Metiers d’Art show. (Almost) launch a rocket through the roof of Paris’ Grand Palais, or erect within the celebrated space an almost 30ft-high waterfall? Please see respectively Chanel’s Fall Winter 2017 and Spring Summer 2018 shows, thank you. And these are just some examples from recent years by the French maison that’s been a strong supporter of music and the arts since its founding years.

So if there’s one show a budding millennial pop star like Kheng must see at Paris Fashion Week, it’s Chanel’s. And that’s exactly what we made happen. She went backstage; joined the celebrity photo pit; caught a glimpse of the Kaiser; frolicked around in the forested set – and that was all before the models even hit the runway. Just how did Kheng’s Chanel fantasy go? Drum roll, please.

 

Want a closer look at Chanel’s Fall Winter 2018 show? We’ve singled out everything from its refined take on hunter-style boots to its pretty yet effortless take on the top knot