Themes

This collection has a clear theme: under the sea. Karl was inspired by the structural modernity of the shapes from the oceans, forms that have been around and molded for eons. The sphericity of the trend cycle is an analogy to the modern and ancient formations of the deep. Pearls, seaweed, tentacles, nets and shells were all very apparent notions within this collection, all screaming sea-worthy. But Lagerfeld delicately walked the line between the inspiration of the oceanic and more washed-up references. He was careful not to cheapen the theme down to a party supply section level, “I avoided mermaids… that would be cheap and commonplace,” he stated in a Chanel Youtube video.

For this line, Karl wanted to stray from the classic motifs of Chanel. “I brought the pearls back. I used them as piercings, as belts. I wanted to change the typical Chanel things: the braids, the logo. There was none of this,” he explained.  There was no space for kitsch in this line and with such a classic theme it was a fragile balance to find. Instead of mermaids, Lagerfeld defined an iridescent color palette to reference the sea. He used shimmer, pearls and most importantly texture to mimic an aesthetic of the earth. 

Designers

Karl Lagerfeld was the creative director for Chanel from 1983 to 2019, a 36-year tenure. This show took place 23 years into his term, Karl used the theme of the ocean as a new inspiration source. A way to liven up the brand while still connecting to the classic Chanel archetypes. 

Karl’s clothes, models and direction are all important aspects of this iconic runway. But the venue itself deserves incredible credit. Constricted by architect Zaha Hadid, the first woman to receive the Pritzker Architecture Prize. Together Lagerfeld and Hadid created an atmosphere familiar yet striking of the element we are all familiar with. In 2008, the two worked together to design the Chanel Mobile Art Pavillion that traveled worldwide. Karl called Hadid “the greatest living architect” after working on this project with her. 

Theatrics

The show took place at the Grand Palais in Paris where Zaha Hadid created an under-the-sea fairytail. Large sculptures represented notions of the oceans- a stingray, a sea horse, a shark, an anemone and coral branches created in white. Hadid created texture with different finishes, matte, glossy and true sparkle. The perfect interpretation of Disney asking a fashion designer to make a couture Little Mermaid set. Off to the side of the set sat a giant seashell and a harpist. Mid-runway the shell opened to reveal Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine. A modern ode to the ancient myth of Venus, Florence broke out in a performance of ‘What the Water Gave Me.’ 

“I was talking about the new record and how it has a kind of ocean themes… and [Karl] was like ‘Yeah I’m going to do an underwater theme show.’ So in his flippant way, he was like ‘You should come and perform.’ You know I always think he’s joking and then you get a phone call and it’s happening,” Florence explained.

The star-studded front row was ecstatic. Uma Thurman reveled in the beauty, “I thought it was fantastic. The whole thing as almost a piece of performance art was so overwhelming. The dresses like fishes flowed beautifully through this oceanic aquarium.” Other stars in attendance included Anna Dello Russo, Alexa Chung, Jared Leto, Vanessa Traina, Ines de la Fressange, Sean Lennon and Carine Roitfeld. 

Pieces

Texture and innovation galore, any other designer may suffer from overpowering theatrics, but not Karl. Streamers moving like seaweed, ruffles reminiscent of sponges, jewelry of seashells and heels of coral- Lagerfeld wove his inspiration into the pieces seamlessly. My favorite layering technique of this line was the combination of silk and tweed, a juxtaposition of soft and strong femininity. While the pieces are rooted in the motifs of the sea, Karl makes them wearable. Adding elements of street style (i.e. oversized bomber jackets and drawstrings), the collections subtly plays into its strength.  

Models

Seventy models represented Chanel Spring Summer 2012. They glided across the stage as quickly as crashing waves, nearly breaking into a jog. Saskia de Brauw was the show opener. Karl has a few larger US-named models walking the show, including Karlie Kloss and Candice Swanepoel. Other star mannequins were Freja Beha Erichsen, Arizona Muse, Tao Okamoto, Heidi Mount, Fei Fei Sun, Lindsey Wixson, Miranda Kerr, Joan Smalls and Liu Wen. The show was closed by Stella Tennant.

Hair & Makeup

Makeup artist Peter Phillips and hairstylist Sam McKnight had a specific vision to turn these models into enigmas from the deep. Phillips channeled Karl’s vision into his own looks, going for the clean and pure aesthetic of the sea and steering clear of muddled mermaid projection. He used the Chanel Illusion d’Ombre Eyeshadow in Fantasme to create a wet and dewy look on the eyes and cheekbones. To really make the eyes pop, each model donned black liner and mascara. When it comes to a Chanel runway, the nail colors always predict an NBT (next big thing)! Phillips used four colors: April (a deep red), May (a rich pink), June (a true peach), and Attraction (an iridescent white). “They’re classy mermaids. Chanel-maids!” explained hairstylist Sam McKnight on his vision for the show. The hair appears wet and every girl represents Chanel with dozens of pearl barrettes. Think Kim K in Thierry Mugler at the 2019 Met, only classy. “The pearls are Chanel pins. If you look closely, you’ll see the double Cs on them, every girl is wearing seven or eight, so we’ve got about 800 altogether,” McNight told Allure magazine backstage.