It may sound obvious to talk about tweed when Chanel is concerned. But when Virginie Viard dedicated an entire Fall/Winter 2022 collection to the heritage fabric of Scotland, perhaps it’s worth taking notice.
The woven fabric traditionally used for men’s outerwear till about a century ago has been reimagined by Gabrielle Chanel as early as ’20s when she introduced it into her womenswear designs – the chief example being the Maison’s tweed jackets.
The Mademoiselle was a fan of the robust material and developed a fondness for tweed suits thanks to her beau the Duke of Westminster. She often wore the Duke’s oversized tweed jackets which he donned for their fishing and hunting excursions during the couple’s vacation to their summer home of Rosehall Estate, according to the National Records of Scotland.
Inez and Vinoodh captured the swinging energy of ’60s Youthquake with a series of images of the model Vivienne Rohner dancing in the midst of a landscape shrouded in fog reminiscent of the Scottish countryside.
Through the years, tweed has been refined and experimented with. Variations include those that weave in luxurious silk and other coloured yarns which the house dubs as Fantasy tweed. And the repertoire of the tweed at Chanel’s disposal is limitless – the brand reportedly sources from various manufacturers from all corners of the world including Scotland, Italy and Japan for its tweed.
Viard was obviously smitten by Chanel’s and the Duke’s love story and that inspiration led her to create a jubilant and joyful ode to the fabric (she even swathed the floor, set and seats in tweed). “There’s nothing sexier than wearing the clothes of the person you love,” she said. “Of course, I’m fascinated by this ever-contemporary gesture. And it’s Chanel that renders the tweed feminine.”
Scroll on for our observations from the runway show.
