Tweed everything! Virginie Viard pays homage to the fashion house’s historic legacy for their AW22 collection.
When it comes to creating something new, we often have to pay homage to our past and that is exactly what Creative Director Virginie Viard did for Chanel’s AW22 collection. Taking us to the Grand Palais Éphémére for a dimly lit show, where the walls draped in themselves in Chanel’s signature fabric and guests piled clutching with specially rendered tickets, we were introduced to Chanel’s historic legacy as we placed ourselves in tweet upholstered seats.
Thinking back to Coco Chanel’s first encounter with her lover the Duke of Westminster back in 1984, Viard took us straight to the scenic countryside for this collection where Chanel would gather flowers and ferns to build her blueprint for what would be known as Chanel today.
Bright intricate patterns, sixties-inspired mini skirts, and micro stilettos all made an appearance on the glittering runway, while pageants of tweed dresses followed through on each look. Whether they were flats or heeled, shoes reigned supreme at the show,, as they teamed each look with bouclés and knitted tights. From the AirPod perfect miniatures to the oversized classic shoulder bag, accessorises topped each look and made subtle references to the glam-filled ‘80s where layers of jewellery and clothing took control.
“Devoting the entire collection to tweed is a tribute,” says Virginie Viard. “We followed the footsteps of Gabrielle Chanel along the River Tweed, to imagine tweeds in the colours of this landscape. Like that of a long pink coat mottled with blue and purple, or a burgundy suit with a delicate gold shimmer. This is what Gabrielle Chanel would do on her walks through the Scottish countryside: she would gather ferns and bouquets of flowers to inspire the local artisans for the tones she wanted.”
