Virginie Viard recontextualised the grey Parisian rooftops in her Spring 2020 outing and then recreated Coco Chanel’s Art Deco apartment located on the Rue de Cambon in her Pre-Fall2019 showcase. She took us to the Abbey of Aubazine (the orphanage where Coco Chanel grew up) with her Spring 2020 couture. Every outing has been a thoughtful homage to the hallowed French house’s rich archive – toasting the legacy of Gabrielle Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld while making it more of-the-moment, pared-down and with a freewheeling weightlessness.
For Chanel’s Fall-Winter 20/21 collection too, Viard had Gabrielle Chanel’s racehorse ‘Romantica’ on her mind and also a portrait of Karl Lagerfeld in a striped suit with riding boots on her moodboard. And who could overlook her lover Boy Capel’s (an English polo player) impact on her work?
Exploring the idea of tough femininity, she sent out 72 looks, each presented with two-toned chunky heeled boots. While there were no dresses on the runway, Edwardian inspired crop tops and blazers had a conversation with micro shorts and long cocktail coats. One of the standout looks was the artful reinterpretation of Pegasus on a jacket with delicate lace. The Byzantine embellished cross on a piece brought to mind the embroidered Christian Lacroix jacket on Vogue’s November 1988 cover featuring shot by Peter Lindbergh and featuring featuring model Michaela Bercu.
Adding to the gamine allure were the jodhpur pants with side leg seams press-stud closures. The knee-length tweed coats clashed with micro shorts wreaking a delectable visual dichotomy. Gigi Hadid who walked hand in hand with other models gave us major squad goals. Their fluid mane tied half up was a strong nod to the 90s and models sported a radiant glow, strong eyes and healthy lips. Virginie’s Chanel girls are fun and fearless and their clothing picks radiate a sliver of insouciance which has long been part of the DNA of the brand.
