Chanel Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2021/22

The Chanel Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2021/22 is a delicately woven, slightly impressionistic ode to the glorious decade of the 1920s. The film of the show, which required a full-scale camera installation into the historical Grand Palais building, was directed by Sofia and Roman Coppola, members of the esteemed Coppola directing family, who have been long-time patrons of the fashion house. This show marks Virginie Viard’s second haute couture presentation and a continuation of the new feminine and delicate side to the fashion house. 

The collection maintains the same base note color palette of black and white neutrals established in the previous show, the Chanel Cruise 2021 Collection, but this time, adding in twists of vibrant colors to the mix. As is to be expected with a Chanel show, the brand-defining tweed knit is ever-present. We see the miniskirts and blazers that have been key to the brand since the beginning — though a handful of tweed usages, like the oversize green jacket gave us a playful side to an underexploited fabric.  

Against the backdrop of the Palais Galliera outdoor terrace, there are a few standouts from this collection, which truly exemplify the reinvention of Chanel for a new era: the floating black organza dress with a petticoat, tied like a gift with a satin bow, with golden sequin bloom appliqué detailing, the boxy raspberry tweed jacket and waistcoat top set above a v-waist ball skirt in a silk fabric, and the tweed jacket and skirt styled with a black-lined ultra crop top. One of the opuses of the collection is the robe-a-la-francaise-inspired draped white satin dress with black bows on the side, which is a delicious ode to the French origins of the house. 

The customary bridal finale dress was embodied on the runway by Once Upon a Time in Hollywood breakout star and new Chanel ambassador Margaret Qualley. She emerged from the vintage doors of the Grand Palais, and the first thing to take notice of is the multicolored veil in front of her eyes, attached to a black pill-box hat with attached pink bow. As the camera panned down, Viard’s second iteration of the iconic bridal dress was revealed. This take brought a long-sleeved dress in a pale pink, white presenting fabric. Whilst not as extravagant and avant-garde as Karl Lagerfield’s divine pink tulle creation from the Haute Couture 2017 show, the dress is timeless, elegant, and simple, showing Viard’s emphasis on hand-sewn craftsmanship versus bells and whistles. 

Watch the Chanel Haute Couture Fall-Winter 2021/22 presentation below.