Under the leadership of creative director Virginie Viard, the 2021/22 looks first saw the stage last December in Paris at the Le19M, the maison’s recently opened building dedicated to their artisan fashionistas, designed by French architect, Rudy Ricciotti. Following their exhibit in Florence, the garments will be available to buy in CHANEL boutiques all over the world from June 2022.
Viard took over from Karl Lagerfeld following his death in 2019, having started her career as an intern at CHANEL in 1987. Karl fondly referred to his faithful long-term colleague and assistant as “my right arm and my left arm”.
The autumn/winter collection includes variations on the classic CHANEL suits, with long skirts and dresses, and wool as the favoured fabric. The colour palette is made up of deep rouges and purples, as well as blacks, whites and greys, with pink and silver making an appearance. The designers of the 59 looks include Goossens, Lemarié, Lesage, Lognon, Maison Michel, Massaro and Montex. A DJ added music to the mix, with a French singer and cocktails for the high-profile attendees (including Penelope Cruz and Sofia Coppola) following the show.
In the run-up to the show, a short animated film and set of illustrations created by the REMEMBERS studio created anticipation around the event, reminiscent of the ambience created last December for the first presentation of this collection at le19M.
