aris Fashion Week has just come to an end and once again the masterminds of the fashion world have dazzled their peers and spectators alike. Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel and Nicolas Ghesquiere at Louis Vuitton in particular went above and beyond. Both of the designers have set high standards from past runway shows, including Ghesquiere’s cruise ship runway and Brazilian museum debut, and Lagerfeld’s runway created Chanel’s very own art gallery and shopping center.
This year for the debut of the Fall 2017 collection, Lagerfeld was inspired by flight. The centerpiece of the runway was the large white rocket ship with the ever famous black Chanel logo painted on its front. The ship demonstrated that this show was not just about flying, it was about intergalactic travel. The clothing showed just that. Silver fabric that almost appeared like aluminum foil glistened on the runway and a print with astronauts plastered all over the fabric was strutted down the runway. The show ended with the rocket “taking off”, with sparks and lights flying outwards. The takeoff was powerful and sent a hopeful message that things were going upwards.
Louis Vuitton’s show at the courtyard of the Louvre was another breathtaking sight. The courtyard was surrounded by white statues of various figures, and so fittingly the models were painted in pale makeup, so as to appear like the statues and blend in with the environment. Although the makeup may have been picked to blend cohesively with the environment, the clothes did the complete opposite. The designs were bold and badass, filled with fur and striking motorcycle jackets. Ghesquiere continued his most recent trend of designing athletic inspired wear by incorporating pieces with sleek lines and bold colors contrasted with white. He also created sweaters with unique prints and incorporated belts into many of the designs. Towards the end of the show, the designer featured many slip inspired dresses made of silk and lace, often contrasted with black leather boots or a fur shawl. The overall collection was cohesive yet each piece was so unique. The designs were so complex and detailed, but when Ghesquiere walked the runway at the end of the show, he stepped out in on the most classic American outfits, blue jeans with a denim shirt; a perfectly simplistic end.
Although Lagerfeld has been around for a lot longer Ghesquiere, both designers share a skill for making big ideas come to life and the fashion world can’t get enough of it.
Images Courtesy of Time, and The New York Times.