Chanel by The Sea

Chanel transformed the Grand Palais into a dream beach. An idyllic setting complete with sand, azure sky and sea… The colours are luminous: sunshine yellow, golden sand, tan beige, pink, blue, iced mint and mother-of-pearl white with navy blue and black. A parasol print on chiffon, multi-coloured plumetis sprinkled over tweed, and embroideries of sand and seashells: the atmosphere is joyful. The look is defined by a sophisticated elegance with a variety of fabrics running from tweed to chiffon via crêpe, lace, cotton serge, denim, leather and poplin. The suit takes on new volumes: jackets have wide shoulders and flared sleeves, responding to skirts slit up the side and opening over mini-skirts, or unzipped, oversize trousers. Jumpsuits with XL legs contrast sharply with outfits of short jackets and little tweed dresses. Men’s jackets are coupled with strapless cycling shorts or leggings. Jeans go with belted cardigans or swimwear with an asymmetric shoulder. Karl Lagerfeld has fun appropriating the cabin dresses: now ‘robes cabanes’ (‘beach hut dresses’) they come in a multi-colour plumetis pink tweed and lace ruffles. For evening they reappear adorned with an origami of chiffon ribbons. The designer explodes a kaleidoscope of sequinned parasols over a strapless dress and a scintillation of sequinned palm trees over a cage dress in black chiffon. Another dress is embellished with satin bows and ribbons.