Prints, Pleats, and Pumps at Chanel’s Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2023 Show
Virginie Viard’s ‘30s inspirations spring forth in the House’s latest experimental couture presentation.
Chanel’s Haute Couture collection, held at the Étrier de Paris, has come back this year as a continuation of the past year’s couture presentation. The Fall/Winter collection for 2022/2023 takes on a playful palette of bright green, khaki, beige, pink, black and silver, and is a gentle balancing act of archival cues of the House and venturing beyond.
Spurred on by artists Xavier Veilhan, Sébastien Tellier, Charlotte Casiraghi, Pharrell Williams and model Vivienne Rohner, Creative Director Virginie Viard has taken the time to experiment with this ‘30s-inspired collection. Lace, tulle and pleats flood the pieces in this collection, displaying Viard’s ability to tie in classic House materiality and codes with visions of her own.
Per Mademoiselle Chanel’s own direction for her brand in the ‘30s, the collection features suits and long dresses that are simultaneously feminine and strong. The geometric shapes and graphic patterns emblematic of the ‘30s make a comeback this season on ankle-length dresses and round-shouldered matching sets.
On the accessories front, necklaces take centre stage for the collection, from the High Jewellery collection ‘1932’, which is a tribute to ‘Bijoux de Diamants’ designed by Mademoiselle Chanel in the titular year. Along with T-strap pumps, cowboy boots were strutted down the runway, bringing an unexpected juxtaposition to the long skirts in the collection. Top it all off with large men’s hats and capelines with dramatic brims, contrasted with the feminine silhouettes. True to its core, Virginie Viard’s Chanel adopts the signature points from the House and spins it in her own language, again producing a collection that is at once soft and assertive.
Below, see some of our favourite looks from the collection:
