Chanel transformed its Paris venue into ancient Greece for its cruise collection on Wednesday. Designer Karl Lagerfeld gave the illusion that guests were stepping back in time when they arrived at the city's Grand Palais, with columns and various man-made ruins decorating the hall to resemble Greece's Temple of Poseidon, along with a rubble runway at the centre.
Models sashayed down the runway in jaw-droppingly beautiful Grecian gowns
Though Lagerfeld told reporters that "reality is of no interest to me" and that his inspiration for the line had "nothing to do with a country", there was no denying the garments reflected Grecian attire. Models all rocked gladiator sandals with straps winding up their calves to their knees, while their outfits varied from Chanel classics such as a monochrome tweed dress with gold buttons down the front to a strapless Aztec-inspired dress in brown, orange and black hues with a bandeau across the chest.
One particularly Grecian number was a rusty pink-coloured sleeveless dress with a slashed neckline and striped material, resembling the architecture seen in the country. While another model looked regal in a black toga-style gown with silver detailing around the waist and over the shoulders. Togas came in flurries, each using sheer ivory material with sequined sections around the middle, with one-sleeved or low-cut necklines. There was also a pale pink creation with gold trimming.
The show space harked back to old-world Greece
Some pieces were more obviously influenced by Greece's history, such as a navy dress with a T-shirt style top boasting prints of two gold-leaf headbands on them, evoking images of mythical gods and goddesses, while the sheer pleated skirt only added to the look.
"I see Greece as the origin of beauty and culture, where there was a wonderful freedom of movement that has since vanished," Lagerfeld noted to WWD. "The criteria of beauty in ancient, then classical, Greece still holds true. There have never been more beautiful representations of women. Or more beautiful columns. The entire Renaissance, in fact, was based on Antiquity."
