Chanel F/W 12.13 Paris

[shutterbug]

How is Karl so hit or miss? One season he makes beautiful clothing and the next we get... this. He has a lot on his plate. Maybe he gives up sometimes.

 

[congacon]

the way the audiences clapped their hands cracked me up. they all looked so confused. they were probably thinking: " are we actually in a different planet?"

 

[Zazie]

The tragedy here is that KL is simply too old and of a different era to understand current shapes and tailoring and to bridge the divide of time. It was similar at YSL, Valentino, etc...they all gracefully retired when they were unable to get with the current age in fashion. He tries to be cool, to get in front, to be relevant, to experiment, that's admirable for him to try, I respect his efforts, but he is better off repeating the "classics" that sell for Chanel, the tweed jackets, camellia, chains, etc.

He is older than my grandfather, so I can't really blame him for being conditioned to the old ways of designing.

 

[liberty33r1b]

WWD review

What does one do after a magical undersea romp? Karl Lagerfeld booked a Chanel journey to the center of the Earth, filled with rich-toned minerals of sparkling hues, where the granite sand glistened and huge stalagmites of various grays and purples (think anthracite and amethyst) soared high beneath the dome of the Grand Palais. Tilting this way and that, they evoked an off-kilter urban skyline, prompting Lagerfeld to quip in a preview that “nature makes a good designer, no?”

Yes, especially when ghost-designed by Lagerfeld himself. If exploring the depths of terra firma didn’t inspire the same level of awe as spring’s masterful oceanic excursion, it still offered a wealth of great clothes and a welcome dose of entertainment near the end of a long season.

The designer was of two minds in terms of mood. His randomly slanted obelisks had a vaguely post-apocalyptic feel, and the girls walked with pounding attitude, their expressions stern under brows jeweled with raw-cut stones. But how genuine can angst be when delivered via so pretty a palette? The clothes, though they seemed to roam, were in fact rooted in a single fabulous idea: Chanel sportif.

Lagerfeld’s mineral mode made for a savvy way with color — deep purples, blues, greens, grays and some reds — that will look as chic off the runway as on. These appeared in great long coats and new suit variations, many with sporty jackets. Everything was shown with pants (most often skinny ones), which were Lagerfeld’s big item of the season. Some mimicked jeans, some were knitted; a peekaboo lace version went under a graphically patterned fur jacket. Lest anyone miss the subtler manifestations of dressing down, he deemphasized evening while celebrating intarsia sweaters in the manner of a luxed-up Dr. Huxtable. Through it all, there was sparkle aplenty, in metallic-shot tweeds, raw-cut stone jewelry and a split-personality shoe — half bootie and half mary jane, with acrylic and rock crystal heels, a wacky idea that worked. But then, what was it F. Scott Fitzgerald said? “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, put them in a single shoe and retain the aura of high chic.” Or something like that.

 

[Donatello89]

Well it's...different ! but i like it

 

[Label Basher]

It's just a big old mishmash. I can see some things I like but not the overall presentation. Maybe the second time round look will be better.

 

[stephy501808]

I wish I could've seen all white outfit than just one.In my opinnion,White design can goes well with the set,espesially with those white crystals,isn't it? By the way,where is those "black and white" that kral usually did the best?To me,this is one of the reasons that this collection doesn't do it for me.

 

[saeda]

I loved 95% of this. I really don't understand the hate for it. Everyone's complaining about how horribly unflattering this collection is, yet they laud Balenciaga season after season, which imo is much less flattering.

And plus, the accessories rock lbr!

Precisely this.

I dislike Chanel when it's truly boring. This collection is anything BUT boring. It challenges people. There is more to fashion than the body-conscious look.

When so many people hate/don't "get" something, it means it has some undeniable power.

 

[Melisande]

I personally really like it when Karl uses colour and patterns, he has a sense for it like no other. Yes it's messy and frumpy and looks like a hand-me-down fiesta, but that's part of the appeal. But then I'm weird.

 

[ParisFashionMuse]

the set is gorgeous not a fan of the collection not giving Chanel anymore hype

 

[Fianna]

I like this collection, but I'm not impressed. If to compare last season collection with this I can say that I'm really disappointed by this season.

 

[Ninia]

I like the collection a lot, and i'm obsessed why the most of u dislike it. The fact that Karl is old, doesn't mean, that he can't lead the Collections. As i see, the collection is very stylish, strict and interesting. I liked the details a lot and the crystal stuff, also Shoes are amazing. It's one of my favourite collection of the year.

 

[Not Plain Jane]

Some of it is really fugly, like those intarsia sweaters and those weird stained glass plastic appliqués. Some of the skirts-over-narrow-trousers work well imo, and kind of are in keeping with his eastern influenced pre-fall collection, although obviously the fabric is very different. But the collection does not cohere - could be edited.

The set is stunning; the eyebrows were distracting.