By Tricia Oliveira in Paris
Karl Lagerfeld led the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of French fashion house Chanel at Paris Fashion Week, in a show set around a huge globe, fêting how the label has grown from a single boutique in Deauville to a global brand with a presence in hundreds of cities.
The music of Tchaikovsky filled the Grand Palais in Paris for the opening of the show attended by dignitaries and celebrities like Princess Caroline of Monaco, Milla Jovovich, Jessica Chastain, Vanessa Paradis as well as photographer Mario Testino.
A hundred years ago in 1913, the late founder and fashion legend Coco Chanel opened her first boutique in the Normandy seaside town of Deauville, then another in Biarrritz in 1915.
Today the label's 300 stores include 185 boutiques in cities such as Singapore, Sao Paulo, Calgary, New Delhi, Istanbul and Brisbane.
"Wherever you see a flag there's a Chanel shop," said Lagerfeld referring to the centerpiece of this season's fashion "runway", a rotating 12-metre high globe dotted with Chanel flags.
The spirit of the show was Chanel's globalisation.
Undoubtedly, the event was also a celebration of the German-born designer's three decades at the creative helm of Chanel, during which he’s overseen the transformation of the house into a truly global empire.
"I can be very happy and pleased because when I started there were three or four (boutiques) 30 years ago, so it's not that bad," he said, humbly deferring the credit to the company.
I am there to do (this) it's part of my job, it's not an ego trip. They (Chanel) played the game, they invested, developed...
Chanel's Fall/Winter 2013/2014 ready-to-wear collection had featured knitwear, short wool suits and column dresses teamed with "double" boots comprising a second legging-type element extending over the knee. Lagerfeld added that he loved knitwear and column dresses which he said made women look "tall and slender".
The show featured 79 looks in total, each showcasing ideas, classic and new, and was proof that the 79 year old German designer is still a creative force to be reckoned with. Supermodels including Stella Tennant and Lindsey Wixson walked around the circular globe runway sporting stylish new winter concepts in tones of blue, grey purple pink and black.
Notable elements from the collection include zippable leather leg sheaths — ones that start at the thigh and end at the ankle — looked warm but maintained a hint of sexiness with the thighs exposed. Coat silhouettes were also cut away squarely in the middle of thighs so that the legs remained visible.
"It's chic sexy, I think, discreet sexy, it's not obvious, it's not sex shop sexy," he said, explaining that the boots gave "balance and proportion" to the look.
Jessica Chastain, Oscar nominee for Best Actress for her role in the movie Zero Dark Thirty, said she "loved everything" about the collection, especially the way Lagerfeld was able to combine elegance and romance.
Many pieces were quintessential Coco… like the low-waisted dresses. Karl makes everything look very wearable. I found it all extraordinary.
"It’s romantic. I loved the coats,” said actress Milla Jovovich.
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