Chanel invited Vanessa Paradis and Charlotte Casiraghi to sing at a catwalk show in a French quarry – made famous by the same Jean Cocteau film that inspired the Cruise collection
French fashion house Chanel brought a touch of rock n’ roll to the south of France, unveiling a mainly black and white collection of fringed, beaded and leather outfits for its 2021/2022 cruise collection.
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Against the backdrop of the empty venue’s white limestone walls, models sashayed in graphic black and white dresses, printed tops and trousers as well as dungarees frayed at the bottom, at the unveil on Tuesday.
The quarry was the set of the classic 1960 art house film Testament of Orpheus by French author, playwright and artist Jean Cocteau, who was a friend of the fashion label’s founder Gabrielle Chanel.
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“I love the film Testament of Orpheus. In particular this magnificent scene: a man with a black horse’s head descends into the Carrières de Lumières, his silhouette cut out against the very white walls,” Viard said in show notes.
“The simplicity, the precision and the poetry of Cocteau’s film made me want to create a very clean collection, with a very distinct two-tone, made up of bright white and deep black,” he added.
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There were also capes over short frilly dresses. Frocks were beaded on the sleeves while Chanel’s traditional tweed jackets and skirts were fringed or embroidered with lucky charms. There were nods to punk as well as mod looks.
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“Echoing the extreme modernity of Cocteau’s film, I wanted something quite rock,” Viard said.
“Lots of fringes, in leather, beads and sequins, T-shirts bearing the face of the model Lola Nicon like a rock star, worn with tweed suits trimmed with wide braids, and pointed silver Mary-Janes (shoes). A look that recalls as much the modernity of the 60s as that of punk.”
After the presentation, brand ambassadors Vanessa Paradis and Charlotte Casiraghi took part in an outdoor musical performance with French singer Sébastien Tellier.
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The brand has chosen fashion museum Palais Galliera as the venue, according to Women’s Wear Daily.
“I hope other houses will follow,” Bruno Pavlovsky, president of fashion at Chanel, told the publication.
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- Chanel’s 2021/22 cruise show was staged in the same location as 1960s Cocteau film Testament of Orpheus
- Creative chief Virginie Viard says she was inspired by the half-man, half-horse in the film, and sent models out in creations reminiscent of punk rockers