PHOTO COURTESY OF CHANEL
While the Grand Palais doesn’t open to the public till restoration works complete in 2025, things are different for Chanel. A major patron of the historic monument, the maison showcased its spring-summer 2025 ready-to-wear there on 1 October 2024, enchanting invited guests with a giant openwork birdcage on the runway.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHANEL
With the Grand Palais a symbolic setting for Chanel fashion shows for over two decades, this return was particularly exciting. In attendance was #HumanChanel Jennie, sporting bold blonde hair, alongside Thai-British actress and singer Rebecca Patricia Armstrong and Icelandic singer and musician Laufey.
New house ambassador Lupita Nyong’o came in a houndstooth tweed coat, while long-time muse Caroline de Maigret wore a sophisticated black-and-white ensemble.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHANEL
Presented by Chanel’s Creation Studio, the show’s focus was on flight and birds, evident in flowy pieces and feather-embellished accessories. Chanel further revisited several house codes, including the perennial LBD, while incorporating jersey, tweed and two-tone shoes into the collection.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHANEL
As for the bags, there is plenty to look forward to. There were glimpses of tweed flap bags. Models also cradled oversized top-handle bags, embracing the trend of slouchy, relaxed leather bags. But the pièce de résistance was a birdcage minaudière complete with a pair of diamanté-embellished birds, a reference to the famous objet d’art in Mademoiselle Chanel’s 31 Rue Cambon apartment.
Time will tell if Chanel will be hiring a new artistic director. But for now, the Creation Studio seems more than equipped to carry on the legacy of its predecessors.
