Chanel F/W 2020.21 Paris

[Norden]

The posts on this forum are better than that article. very offending and inarticulate. I don’t mind Virginie at all. But it’s very similar to Sarah burton in the softer direction.

Chanel needs starpower. Too much depends on marketing. They have no story now. It’s very empty and there is very little novelty to be seen here. marc Jacobs is my favorite to take over. He understand pop culture mixed with luxury.

 

[perhydrol]

That article is pointless, but it shows the tendency of the press that Chanel is going to get with Virginie. Especially with all the bad reviews of this collection. Virginie Viard is not Karl so people might be more open when it comes to expressing their point of view.

 

[Lola701]

That article is pointless, but it shows the tendency of the press that Chanel is going to get with Virginie. Especially with all the bad reviews of this collection. Virginie Viard is not Karl so people might be more open when it comes to expressing their point of view.

English or American press always expressed their point of view...Even when Karl was there. Karl did not care...Even if to some he still needed to do it, he obviously did not need to prove himself. The difference has always been with the French press because the level of proximity is a little bit different. You see it with a lot of French designers...They are not judging designers but friends in a way. That’s why you have great critics in the US or UK.

 

[dior_couture1245]

I anticipated as much that this would be the kind of response Virginie would receive.

I don’t even think she’s TERRIBLE...but she just doesn’t have star power to maintain this brand, and for better or worse, Karl made Chanel big...not just big....huge, actually. In its cultural cache, in its marketing and advertising, in its presence in the industry, in its shows, in all ways...they cannot realistically downsize from those heights at this point.

The problem is, while they cannot downsize, per se, they also cannot carry on with this brand looking like a Karl Largerfeld collection but with no Karl. The appeal WAS Karl.

They’re going to need someone who can come in and give a compelling new spin on all the categories this house offers.

I advocated for Phoebe Philo, since she is someone who has the kind of vision to be able to take all the codes...the camellias, the tweeds, the pearls, the logo, the quilted leather bags, the 30’s dresses, the flou...and do something special with it all. It would be a new chapter for the house post Karl...not this kind of indefinite, looming presence of Karl but without the personality he so greatly provided and imbued in his work.

Whether or not it is realistic at this point for Phoebe to take over, I don’t know...but I still think she’d be best.

Her....or Alber. I just don’t think anyone else is right or capable, really.

 

[Creative]

I have good friends working for Chanel in Paris and they are not reaching the targets...

But the backlash towards Virginie is a little unfair I think. She's not a star designer at all and she has a very tough task now. It makes sense they gave the reins of the brand to her, since it was too early to give the direction of the brand to someone from outside the company. And everybody knows her replacement is a matter of time. She's like Bill Gaytten and that's it, so I just think we shouldn't be mean.

 

[chanelh]

I have good friends working for Chanel in Paris and they are not reaching the targets...

But the backlash towards Virginie is a little unfair I think. She's not a star designer at all and she has a very tough task now. It makes sense they gave the reins of the brand to her, since it was too early to give the direction of the brand to someone from outside the company. And everybody knows her replacement is a matter of time. She's like Bill Gaytten and that's it, so I just think we shouldn't be mean.

Well, Chanel cancelled the her cruise collection show in HK due to social unrest, and HK's luxury market was also hugely impacted during the season of her collection. Then we have the virus break-out in China and worldwide, and the market was damaged even further.

So not sure how much the Wertheimer will blame on her for not meeting the target, but the situation definitely gives her a break to make things better before it's too late.

 

[Creative]

Well, Chanel cancelled the her cruise collection show in HK due to social unrest, and HK's luxury market was also hugely impacted during the season of her collection. Then we have the virus break-out in China and worldwide, and the market was damaged even further.

So not sure how much the Wertheimer will blame on her for not meeting the target, but the situation definitely gives her a break to make things better before it's too late.

Well, In February other brands reached +120% of their targets (in Paris and in EU in general & ME) while Chanel was -25%, so it's not just a matter of the situation.

 

[chanelh]

Well, In February other brands reached +120% of their targets (in Paris and in EU in general & ME) while Chanel was -25%, so it's not just a matter of the situation.

Haha, then I am happy to know despite the media turn blind to her creativity, the customers who buy Chanel can make judgement by themselves.
Honestly, when you see her design listed on the rack in boutique, it just feel so dull and uninspiring, you won't pay that kind price for such look.
You got to be a real dreamer to convince a Chanel customer.

 

[Lola701]

I have good friends working for Chanel in Paris and they are not reaching the targets...

But the backlash towards Virginie is a little unfair I think. She's not a star designer at all and she has a very tough task now. It makes sense they gave the reins of the brand to her, since it was too early to give the direction of the brand to someone from outside the company. And everybody knows her replacement is a matter of time. She's like Bill Gaytten and that's it, so I just think we shouldn't be mean.

Silvia is not a star designer and she is doing the job...
Ok, Karl’s presence in Rome is less comparable to Chanel and the studio in Rome has been less dependent to him. Chanel (the company) is still mourning and maybe the expectations were too high but she is just not good. She wore Karl’s clothes very well but she is struggling to project what she embodies.
If I was her, I would just go back to the archives of Karl (early 2000’s), refresh the styling of some collections, change two things and go ahead.
People were ready for a new Chanel but I don’t think anybody expected black stockings worn with a cashmere sweater...

i’m actually curious to see how the Weirthemers will handle that next phase. Maybe Karl’s old team will move on to Barrie and special projects because I don’t see Virginie having a career in fashion outside of the Chanel universe.

 

[Creative]

Yeah, I feel like Fendi is a complete different story. They were much more independent indeed, and it's not on the top5 luxury brands. For me, they don't even have a strong "identity" in terms of RTW. Many people didn't know Karl was designing for Fendi (even in marketing departments of high end luxury brand under the LVMH umbrella, sounds crazy but I've witnessed it).

Chanel was Karl. I do need a little bit more time to see a new Chanel. Having Marc or any other star designer doing his crazy things would be a little bit too much right now, at least for me.

I need a boring and insipid time to be able to appreciate someone else's Chanel vision. It's like with love stories. When they are replaced in two days there was something wrong for sure. But when your partner has given you everything during so many years (even if there were a lot of bad moments as well), the least you need is time.

I agree she's not doing a great job and that it would be easy to make something fresh using the early 2000s archive, but idk...

 

[LoveFashion25]

Yeah, I feel like Fendi is a complete different story. They were much more independent indeed, and it's not on the top5 luxury brands. For me, they don't even have a strong "identity" in terms of RTW. Many people didn't know Karl was designing for Fendi (even in marketing departments of high end luxury brand under the LVMH umbrella, sounds crazy but I've witnessed it).

Chanel was Karl. I do need a little bit more time to see a new Chanel. Having Marc or any other star designer doing his crazy things would be a little bit too much right now, at least for me.

I need a boring and insipid time to be able to appreciate someone else's Chanel vision. It's like with love stories. When they are replaced in two days there was something wrong for sure. But when your partner has given you everything during so many years (even if there were a lot of bad moments as well), the least you need is time.

I agree she's not doing a great job and that it would be easy to make something fresh using the early 2000s archive, but idk...

What do you think about Chanel now?