Chanel goes to the opera with a brilliant couture collection, but without a designer

PARIS– The show must go on, calmly. Chanel’s latest couture show on Tuesday was a finely executed collection that channeled theatricality.

Few Parisian fashion houses can fill the Paris Opera and receive applause from Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and other luminaries, even without having a designer. It’s a testament to the staying power of Chanel and its world-renowned atelier following Virginie Viard’s abrupt departure on June 5.

Here are some highlights from the fall couture displays:

Guests clutching Chanel opera glasses happily got lost as they explored the marble staircases to find a stage in the Opera’s outer halls, lined with red velvet opera boxes designed by French film director Christophe Honoré. The stage was set with silhouettes that evoked opera and its heyday: dramatic capes, puffed sleeves and richly embroidered pieces.

The brilliance of the designs rivaled only that of the sumptuous 19th-century atrium itself, with sparkling buttons and shiny threads reflecting the light.

There were moments of drama, as guests grabbed their cameras (being too close for opera glasses) to capture a black dress with puffed sleeves whose feathers, beads and ribbons sparkled provocatively.

This season has seen a welcome shift to fewer accessories, a move away from former designer Viard’s signature look. The focus was on the clothes themselves, highlighting intricate craftsmanship and luxurious materials. Feathers, tassels, embroidered flowers, precious braids, lacquered jersey, soft tweeds, silky velvet, illusion tulle, taffeta and duchess satin adorned a myriad of looks befitting the location.

While necklines were a standout feature — scooped or elevated mini turtlenecks — alongside accentuated, banded shoulders or busts, the collection as a whole had a slightly disparate feel that sometimes seemed to lack a singular aesthetic anchor.

Chanel paid tribute to the “petites mains” ateliers, or the dozens of artisans who work in six ateliers just a few steps away.

For a house that prides itself on image-perfect execution, the news that arrived in the middle of the night seemed unpolished. Chanel faced its first major event on Tuesday without its creative director, who left abruptly after more than 30 years at the brand. The announcement was highly unorthodox, just weeks before the couture show.

It later emerged that the French couturier would be absent from even her last couture show, with her team taking over.

Viard succeeded Karl Lagerfeld after his death in 2019 and was his closest collaborator for decades. She oversaw Chanel’s record sales, reaching $19.7 billion last year. Ready-to-wear sales increased 23% during her tenure.

However, in the fickle world of fashion, strong sales are not always enough. Viard’s tenure has been marked by controversy, most recently criticism of her collections, including a poorly received mid-season show in Marseille. Viard faced backlash at shows that critics said lacked the larger-than-life talent that defined Lagerfeld’s era, and she often drew criticism for underwhelming design choices.

Although her appointment was initially considered temporary, she was only the third creative director in Chanel’s 100-plus year history, after Lagerfeld and, of course, legendary founder Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel.

The fashion world speculates about his successor. Names like Hedi Slimane, Marine Serre and Simon Porte Jacquemus are circulating, suggesting possible changes in Chanel’s creative direction.

To the sounds of nostalgic jazz music, 89-year-old fashion veteran Giorgio Armani returned to his landmarks of the Art Deco period – the 1920s and 1930s – and romance for a display of slow, glittering couture at the Palais de Tokyo . It was called “Pearls”.

Models donned berets in a show that sparkled not only with pearls, but also with velvets, silk chiffons and tulle, and ended in sparkling foams. Meticulous craftsmanship, with embellishments like sequins, crystals and rhinestone embroidery, gave Armani’s pieces a luminous, ethereal quality for fall that dazzled the eye as it was displayed by slow-walking models. Occasionally, Armani fell victim to her romantic spirit when she turned to the literal, like a diamond-encrusted beret.

But tailoring – a cornerstone of design for Armani, who cut his fabrics into menswear – was a powerful theme at the show. An angular black jacket perfectly captured the collection’s theme, with its curved, graphic-lined lapel shining with a myriad of pearls adorning the shoulders.

Armani is often associated with the word “timeless” and praised for his ability to create pieces that remain elegant and relevant throughout the decades. This strength reassures the public, but although always beautiful, the pieces on display on Tuesday sometimes lacked the surprise seen in other couture shows this season.

What remains relevant is the Italian icon’s lasting influence on the fashion and entertainment industries, as seen by top editors and stars such as Cate Blanchett, Jodie Turner-Smith, Naomie Harris and Eva Green, who occupied the front row. So iconic, in fact, that there was a new adjective for it revealed in the program notes – “Armanian”.

Bubbles are never far from effervescent couturier Alexis Mabille. Guests sipped champagne, with ice buckets filled with champagne, right on the catwalk in a celebration of luxurious excess.

Unfurling, undressing and playing with corsets were on the drinks menu this season, starting with an opening number featuring a glittering bodice that resembled an opening flower. Intimacy and the ritual of dressing is a theme that permeates Mabille’s work.

Varied looks sometimes surprise guests, like a Bob Mackie-style feathered headdress that outdoes Cher. The extravagant piece had an almost equestrian flourish and was a true feat of couture execution, showcasing Mabille’s talent for Hollywood-inspired glamour.

A gold bullet creation and a shiny metallic power cape with an armor-like bodice gave the collection plenty of attitude, if not always coherence. Mabille’s collections often encompass a wide range of silhouettes and themes, sometimes leading to a lack of a unified narrative. However, diversity is also part of its charm.

Charles de Vilmorin, the 27-year-old prodigy of the Parisian couture scene, once again proved his worth with a fascinating show that blends experimental silhouettes, dark reflections and eye-catching color palettes. Known for his vibrant use of color, Vilmorin’s palette often evokes the sumptuousness of Christian Lacroix’s 1980s work, making him one of the most talked about couturiers in Paris today.

On Tuesday, audiences were transported to a gothic dreamscape where Anna Cleveland emerged as an enchanting figure, trapped in a black straitjacket dress that screamed both asylum and Tim Burton. De Vilmorin, known for dealing with the pressures of creation and the high expectations of the fashion world, channeled these tensions into his collection.

Another ‘straitjacket’ dress appeared adorned with enormous black and red plumes, like a satanic phoenix rising from the ashes. The narrative that followed was nothing short of a sartorial saga. A giant rat ran down the runway, followed by a model wearing a huge witch’s hat with hair fringe.

Adding to the dark and whimsical narrative was a noble figure, dressed in a well-creased white shirt, tied with a whimsical twist. This juxtaposition of elegance and sloppiness was pure De Vilmorin. The crescendo of the show was a color-blocked blue and red chiffon Renaissance gown, an homage to historic opulence with a contemporary twist.