PARIS (AP) — The show must go on, with aplomb. Chanel’s latest couture display Tuesday was a finely executed collection channeling theatricality. Few Parisian fashion houses can fill the Paris Opera and gain applause from Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour and other luminaries without even having a designer.
It's a testament to Chanel’s enduring power and its world-renowned atelier following Virginie Viard's abrupt exit on June 5. Here are some highlights of the fall couture displays: Chanel's opulence Guests clutching Chanel opera glasses got happily lost as they explored marble staircases to find a stage in the Opera’s outer corridors, filled with red velvet opera boxes designed by French movie director Christophe Honoré. The stage was set with silhouettes evoking the opera and its heyday: dramatic capes, puffed sleeves and richly embroidered pieces.
The designs’ gleam rivaled only that of the sumptuous 19th-century atrium itself, with shimmering buttons and brilliant threads reflecting the light. There were moments of drama, with guests reaching for their cameras (being too close for the opera glasses) to capture a black gown with puff sleeves whose feathers, beading and ribbons gleamed provocatively. This season, there was a welcome move to less accessorizing, a departure from the hallmark of former designer Viard.
The focus was on the garments themselves, highlighting the intricate craftsmanship and luxurious materials. Feathers, tassels, embroidered flowers,.