For goodness sake they have these people called “style experts” in every region teaching them how to “interpret the runway” and styling them based off of outdated Parisian fashion stereotypes and concepts like “the Parisienne”. I remember in Hong Kong they had this lady who was the most cringe and pretentious person ever who went around the region styling people and she had the most basic tips ever: white shirt or blouse with everything, jeans with a Chanel jacket, etc.
Chanel is not a brand that is meant to be directional. They want to be Margiela but they also want to be a 18 billion company. It’s like no. You either want to be commercial or you want to be niche. Choose a side and stick to it.
I can confirm I have no affiliation with Chanel and am not employed by them. In fact, I should probably charge them royalties for misusing my name.
Where to even start with this collection? There is a lot to digest, and I am surprised by how loud it is, to the point that it is sometimes unpleasant to look at. It is obvious that they are trying to place themselves back in the centre of the fashion conversation but the effort feels extremely forced
Some looks, with their complete lack of refinement or subtlety, fall straight into full AM Gucci or Moschino territory.
They will keep selling the basic logo merch and the usual classic bags, shoes and tweeds like hot cakes. The runway collections exist simply to get people talking about Chanel again, which is of course nothing new. The shift now is that the clothes have been inflated into these loud, attention-grabbing pieces that function as talking points. The press, paid or not, will praise it anyway and at this point online divisiveness is treated as a strategy rather than a problem. After the Virginie years the real issue was that no one cared much about the runway even though the brand kept selling well, and I think that convinced them that they could sell even more if they put themselves back in the centre of the conversation.
My main issue is the presentation in the subway station. The setup for his debut show with the planets was quite clever, and compared to that the subway felt basic and generic. It came across as a messy and outdated attempt to show “luxury” against a “gritty” backdrop. As PDFSD pointed out, MB seems to love this idea and treats it as 'modern'. I would actually love to see them commit to an ultra luxe environment next time, something that aligns with the upper end of Chanel’s client base, and see how the clothes hold up there.
I would not go as far to call it poor cosplay, but the idea that the New York subway is so iconic on its own is baffling. Literally zero creative thinking there. Cathy Horyn, for once, got it right in her review.
