CHANEL Couture: Beautiful stories should be accompanied by beautiful endings

Every season of Chanel's haute couture collection release is an existence that makes us take our breath away. When more and more brands began to reduce the frequency of fashion releases, only Chanel still insisted on the "prolific" rhythm of releasing 6 collections a year.

On the third day of the Lunar New Year, Chanel released its latest Spring/Summer 2023 haute couture collection in Paris.

Virginie Via, Creative Director of the Brand Boutique Department

In the promotional trailer before the official release of the series, the brand's new muse, Swiss supermodel Vivienne Rohner, appeared. The series was created by Virginie Viya and directed by artist Xavier Veilhan.

In front of 31 rue Cambon, Vivienne Rohner emerges from a tall bird-shaped sculpture by Xavier Veilhan and enters the private residence of Madame Gabrielle Chanel.

Various animal ornaments, sculptures and paintings such as lions, deer, stag, birds and camels are displayed here. "This is my third collaboration with Xavier Veilhan, and I asked him to reinterpret the animal fable in the apartment and incorporate it to his own liking," says Virginia Via. "All the embroidery in the series comes from the animal world."

Vivienne Rohner opens a book in the salon and is immediately immersed in Xavier Veilhan's imaginary world, surrounded by puppies and horses. "Puppies are the ultimate symbol of tenderness," says Xavier Veilhan. "I hope to use these images to evoke an organic attachment, a touch that goes straight to the heart." In this fantastical and humorous short film, the puppies embark on a journey in a hot air balloon and scooter before landing on a miniature version of the Art Deco mirror staircase at 31 Cambon Street.

From the sofa in her apartment to the steps of the mirror staircase, Vivienne Rohner interprets the season's silhouette: tweed coat dresses and fringed skirts with black loafers;

blue tweed jacket and ultra-shorts with a shimmering bronze sheen, white gloves and lace-up boots; Corgi-embroidered bra coat and white tweed dress with gold stripes, both paired with a top hat;

This sequined pleated silk beaded ruffle dress and white lace dress are set under a lightweight gold deer-head embroidered blouse and finished with a black bow tie.

The Spring/Summer 2023 haute couture collection launch was an expansive village square, with 11 giant animal sculptures made of wood, cardboard and paper by artist Xavier Veilhan, and the models then walked out of the sculptures one by one. Xavier Veilhan draws inspiration from the brand and its own aesthetic universe to create a unique animal fable.

Chanel's haute couture collection this season draws inspiration from women's uniforms from festive parades and carnival performances. Compared with previous collections, one of the most significant features of this spring/summer 2023 haute couture collection is that the shorts that look livelier and younger occupy a large proportion of the 51 looks of the entire show.

Virginie Via also drew inspiration from the marching conductor to create the collection with poetic elements such as top hats, bow ties, white gloves, lace-up boots, satin capes, ruffle skirts, double-breasted or tuxedo jackets, dress shirts, sequin embroidery, ultra shorts, petticoats and more.

The cropped tweed suit and coat dress feature embroidered motifs of cute kittens, corgis, rabbits and swallows, as well as Chanel's signature deer, stag and camellia. Have you noticed such eye-catching design details?

When the models come in with the brand's most classic tweed pieces, we can once again feel the timeless charm of Chanel's classic elements and Virginie Via's firm belief in continuing the brand's DNA.

Outside of the set, this season's Chanel dresses and jumpsuits are light and sophisticated, combining layering, sheerness, trim, pleats, thin straps and recolored lace, in silk beads, taffeta, ugans, georgette crepe and chantilly lace.