As the Spring Couture season is in bloom, legendary French fashion houses Chanel et Dior once again welcome us into their distinctive world of high-end aesthetic and distinctive idiosyncrasy. As they each have completely opposite yet complimentary visions, both present us with an ineffable freshness and a lightness in their spirit that can make us swoon dreaming of fashion.
Plastic capes, psychedelic knits, subtle iridescent sequined dresses, crafted structured fabrics, and soft color palettes with clever injections of extravagance, gave sense to both collections.
Each look brought to life the sceneries; as a tale of a futuristic past (a retro vision of the future they encapsulated different eras of the same faraway time.
Dior's runway was a soft pink mirrored spaceship where every model inhabited, where each look took meaning. Chanel, once again transformed the Grand Palais into an ultra-feminine and thoroughly idealized post-apocalyptic garden, which bloomed cosmically as the girls walked by, and as flowers where poured with fictional magnetic water. Raff Simons kept pushing the boundaries of the Dior woman, transforming once again the recurrent classic femininity and evocative silhouette of a 50’s New Look. It is imperative to highlight the puffy dresses and skirts with stripped soft fabrics that blurred the lines of the traditionally ladylike silhouette into modern, slick and sophisticated looks. Paired with an unexpected color scheme, the lemony yellows, blunt greens, and subtle strokes of orange reds popped over the white skirts and dresses; each piece told the story of the new Dior madame. As an impossible pair, latex boots marched through the white and silver scaffolds, complementing the clean shapes of the mini dresses and midi grand skirts.
Chanel had also big moments, bold pops of color, and contradictory accessories that brought its visions of the future to life. The high-end couture beanies stole all the attention with the intricate knits, soft textures and adornments. Black mesh fingerless gloves tied the undeniable romanticism of the collection together, materializing the usual French je ne sais quoi present every season. Classic Chanel looks, as a pink sequined dress with traditional black thick finishes, were key. Yet the more forward eye-catching dresses bloomed with colorful flower prints and embellished textiles. The clear highlight was the finale wedding gown aimed for a younger than usual client, making sense of the futuristic garden world of Chanel.
Both collections created a particular universe that will transcend to the masses, and will flood the streets this year as the season progresses.
Having in common the almost unprecedented change in the conception of couture as an impossible dream of fashion, this year both ateliers kept the fantasy while bringing it down to earth, to a reality that seems possible to translate into a very fashion-forward routine.
