In front of us, the seamstresses go about their work – cutting, sewing, embellishing and altering. A model stands to the side, waiting patiently for her fitting. There are mirrors and mannequins, sewing machines, measuring tapes, bolts of fabric and spools of multicoloured thread. On the walls, fabric swatches hang chaotically from Chanel hangers, alongside schedules and sketches.
We are in the Grand Palais, Paris, for the presentation of Chanel’s autumn/winter 2016/17 haute couture collection. The layout of the show is telling. We are seated on a central, circular wooden podium, facing a recreation of Chanel’s tailoring and dressmaking ateliers. This is not about celebrity spotting (I only learn later that Will Smith is in attendance with his daughter Willow, the face of Chanel’s latest eyewear campaign), or fighting over the front row; the focus is squarely and unequivocally on process and craftsmanship – a return-to-the-essence approach to haute couture, if you will.
Karl Lagerfeld, who is the master of spectacle when it comes to presenting his clothes, is artfully reminding us that for all the pomp, it is these ladies, the ‘petites mains’ working tirelessly behind the scenes, that make it all happen. It’s a rare, anti-elitist look at the inner sanctums of haute couture – a world of nimble hands and infinite patience, where every sequin is counted and every stitch counts.
It’s an approach that resonates with the Lebanese actress and Chanel ambassador, Razane Jammal, who tells me: “The setting is very intimate and it is nice to see Karl celebrating the seamstresses. It shows you that Chanel is about teamwork, not just one person. Karl might be the designer, but the execution is just as important.”
The music starts – a throbbing, Eurodance track that harks back to the early 1990s, with an unrelenting bassline that reverberates up through the wooden benches. The wide-eyed models appear, towering curls piled high on their heads and held off their faces with grosgrain hairbands topped with oversized bows. Their make-up consists of dark liner smudged into triangles beneath their eyes, coupled with triangular lashes and the lightest dab of rosy blush on the cheeks. The effect is part Marie Antoinette, part porcelain doll.
When it comes to the clothes, the silhouette is sleek, with the house’s trademark statement shoulders appearing wider and more angular than ever, but held up with stitches, rather than padding. There is the requisite amount of tweed, as three-quarter length sleeves are paired with wide-cut culottes, and trademark jackets accentuate the waist with protruding pockets on the hips. The colour palette is pure autumn – browns, marron glacé, oranges, beige and greys, complemented by sprinklings of pink, black and white.
For evening wear, Lagerfeld takes his cues from the 19th century English author and illustrator, Aubrey Beardsley, who was a leading figure in the Aesthetic movement. Beardsley’s signature black-and-white illustrations, always set against a white background, are translated on the catwalk into a startling assortment of silhouettes, with high waists, voluminous cuts, intricate embroidery and beading, feathers protruding from shoulders and hems, and skirts flaring out over soft cages. Fabrics range from radzimir, ziberline, mikado and taffetas to chiffons, crêpe georgette, organza, silk tulle and embroidered laces.
British model Edie Campbell closes the show, a most unorthodox bride in a pink bustier and trousers fashioned from lace, tulle and satin encrusted with strands of pink and white wool, topped with a pink train crafted from feathers.
Actress Milla Jovovich perhaps best sums up the spectacle when she tells me: "It was beautiful. So elegant and structured. There was so much beautiful jewellery on the clothing, and classic Chanel fabrics, but it was a very futuristic view of the power suit. It reminded me a bit of some super-glamorous, super-elaborate Blade Runner. It was gorgeous and the set was incredible as well. To have it in the atelier, to really see how they work; it was a very interesting way to present everything."
At the end of the show Lagerfeld does a double victory lap alongside the heads of the ateliers. It is a very human touch – in an industry often accused of being devoid of human touches.
sdenman@thenational.ae