Virginie Viard’s first runway for Chanel in comparison to Karl Lagerfeld’s era. By Sarah Silverwood
Even a casual follower of fashion would be able to recognise the name of the late designer, Karl Lagerfeld. Before passing in February 2019, the German born designer was the creative director for Fendi, Chanel, and his eponymous label as well as designing collections for Chloe and the highstreet brand, H&M. Described by Vogue as ‘an unparalleled interpreter of the mood of the moment’, Lagerfeld helped to modernise Coco Chanel’s previous designs for a new audience, building on the iconography of the brand such as the tweed jacket, little black dress and the Camellia flower. (1) Lagerfeld merged Chanel’s 1955’s flap bag with a more masculine finish – creating the staple that is the Chanel Boy bag. His designs appealed to the masses, bringing in a much more younger audience without alienating the previous demographic.
Virginie Viard was appointed Chanel’s new creative
director after the passing of Lagerfeld. She isn’t a stranger to the brand – in
fact, she has been at the fashion house for more than 30 years, working
alongside Karl as the director of Chanel’s creation studio. Previously,
Lagerfeld described Viard as ‘my right arm… and my left arm.’ Viard’s first
Chanel show as Artistic Director was the Cruise 2020 collection and the set
gives a stark difference to Lagerfeld’s era – Viard opted for a minimal set
design using the monumental Grand Palais, transforming it into a train
platform.
Lagerfeld once famously stated that ‘sweatpants are
a sign of defeat’ yet Viard used a plethora of leggings in this collection. The
designs included a metallic Chanel logo print and argyle prints often paired
with tweed jackets. The use of leggings didn’t stop with the 2020 Cruise
collection, recently, the garment was littered on the Pre-Fall 2020/2021
runway.
Viard channelled her previous work at the fashion
house, Chloe, by the use of lace and chiffon dresses. Whilst the masculine
pieces were displayed using classic white shirts – a reminder to her
predecessor – placing chunky knitwear over them. There was another moment of
reflection with the final look paying homage to Lagerfeld – a halter dress with
a collar in Lagerfeld’s trademark black and white.
Whilst Lagerfeld’s influence of the fashion house
was still felt, Viard’s technical know how was also on display – shown by the
craftmanship of garments (for instance the leather pieces containing faggoting.)
Certainly, Viard succeeded in carrying the baton for Chanel, her designs built
on Lagerfeld and Coco Chanel’s work, whilst her eye for detail carried a new
vision for Chanel.
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