FASHION & STYLE: CHANEL HAUTE COUTURE SPRING SUMMER 2014
Karl Lagerfeld sure knows how to make waves in the fashion industry. The creative director started off Chanel’s Haute Couture Spring/Summer ’14 show in Paris with Cara Delevingne introducing the collection in a stunning sheer milky garment. Haute Couture means much more than what many tend to understand; it is a rarefied form of fashion that preserves the practice of hand-crafting garments allowing designers to appropriately apply techniques elsewhere within the industry.
With Sébastien Tellier and his orchestra playing in the background, all 65 models pranced up and down the boundless runway with their couture garments and trainers. Mind you, these were couture trainers, embroidered and layered on creating a veil of lace. These bad boys, however, will not be sold in stores nationwide; the sneakers are only available with a the purchase of a full couture look, as told by a Chanel rep. At Paris Couture, Dior showed similar cozy slip-ons during their runway preview. If the industry propagates this trend, we should be expecting a great deal of comfort rather than the “beauty over pain” soreness we’re all too familiar with.
The ensembles shown at Chanel’s Spring/Summer 2014 couture runway are prime examples of exquisite handcraft: scaled from head to toe in sequins; hand-embroidered flowers; ostrich feathers; and luminescent scales. The intricacy has given haute couture another run for it’s fashion architecture.
Embedded against yet another minimal alabaster background (easily matched against Christian Dior and Schiaparelli’s recent shows), Lagerfeld sets the tone for the Chanel Couture show flawlessly. Lagerfeld spotlights a futuristic theme by accessorizing his ladies with kneepads, embellished tweed fanny packs, and halos of spiked hair sculpted by Sam McKnight. The make-up, designed by Peter Philips, consists of bold matte black eyeliners and sparkling sequins on the lower water-line.
At the close the show, Delevingne’s bride trail is carried attentively out by Lagerfeld’s godson Hudson Kroenig. The retro 1930s nightclub vibe this season is elegant and dramatically poised. We can’t wait for what else Lagerfeld will have up his sleeves for next season’s Haute Couture.
Check out the entire Chanel Haute Couture Spring Summer 2014 runway here:
Text reference and photo reference via Chanel News + Telegraph UK
