So the set – as with all Chanel sets – made (and still do make) jaws drop. In the case of the brand’s Cruise 2019 show that took place last week, it came in the form of a 330-foot-long ocean liner baptised La Pausa – the name of Coco Chanel’s villa in the South of France – that took two months to build and was “docked” in the centre of Paris’ Grand Palais (yes, inside, on dry and very revered grounds). But the highlight of any fashion show – however dramatic – ought to be the collection and when the first model stepped out onto the runway to the feel-good, wanderlust-inducing tune of Frankie Knuckle’s The Whistle Song (you can listen to snippets of the infectious soundtrack here), it was clear that the crowd was instantly charmed.
Just the day before, most of the international press (myself included) had arrived in the French capital to find a range of publicity materials in our rooms at the Peninsula, where we were put up. Among them, a card featuring the iconic image of Coco Chanel sitting with her legs crossed by the beach, and as the show started, its opening line came to mind: “More than just a tradition, setting out on a journey for the Cruise collection is a highly anticipated rendezvous. It’s the guarantee of a change of scenery, of beaches, of beauty and discovering a place, an era, an art de vie.”
Indeed, all 88 looks that went down the runway on the night of May 3 conjured images of women on a jaunt – joyous, effortlessly glamorous and at complete ease, whether they were in a tweed pantsuit (the jacket or pants cropped just so to take the look into holiday territory), or a slim, black-tie worthy gown. Some from the audience commented that a few looks didn’t seem very “Karl“. If the brand’s presiding creative director for 35 years has at times dreamt up unexpectedly stately silhouettes, there was none of that here. Imbued throughout the collection: a sense of liberation that would appeal to all women; one that feels particularly relevant now as fashion and society re-examine the image and definition of a strong, confident woman.
In the gallery below are what I think are the collection’s standout trends, pieces and elements. Each of them surprised me; makes me want to go in for a close-up, try it out and do so in my own way when the collection hits stores around November this year. That, to me, is fashion that’s fun and empowering.
