DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CNN) — There is no doubt that there is a strong and ancient link between the worlds of cinema and luxury fashion. The two industries have developed a strong and symbolic relationship between themselves, the design of artistic clothes, the most extravagant looks on the red carpet or advertising campaigns starring celebrities.
That’s why the location of Chanel’s 2023/24 traveling fashion show last Tuesday at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles made sense.
“Fashion and cinema are daydreaming, fueled by a vibrant call to attention and never to leave the dance floor,” noted a booklet accompanying the show.
But there is a personal connection between the French fashion house and Hollywood.
Virginie Viard, Chanel’s creative director after Karl Lagerfeld’s death in 2019, worked in fashion design early in her career.
Coco Chanel was persuaded to come to Hollywood in 1931 by film producer Samuel Goldwyn, whose film costumes were hardly old by the time they were released, and ended up with half a dozen costume design jobs to her name. .
A homage and a tribute to Viard’s love for the “City of Angels” at the Chanel Fashion Show in Los Angeles, which returned to Los Angeles after 16 years.
A lot has changed in Los Angeles from the late 2000s to today.
While the city has long been a center of American popular culture, its stars have changed or expanded their fields, with current fashion influencers becoming social media and subculture darlings, as well as well-established actors and socialites with global and online audiences.
Luxury brands like Chanel have learned to adapt to this development, mixing the old and new with their cultural heritage, drawing inspiration from the past and looking forward to celebrating the future.
Despite the evolution of our definition of fame and popularity, as in the world of fashion, there is still a sense of luxury and ambition associated with fame.
For Chanel, that feeling began with the design of the event invitations. French artist André Saraiva designed the invitations to resemble posters for music events, with each guest’s name listed in title-style above the names of famous Chanel ambassadors. Marguerite Qualley. , Kristen Stewart and Margot Robbie.
And the result? It’s like Coachella (in other words, LA). If the goal is to make everyone feel like a star, Chanel has achieved it.
Inside Paramount Studios, the grandstand is set up like a football field, with tiered seating, billboards and stadium lighting.
Stars like Chloe Sevigny, Elle Fanning, Halsey, Chris Jenner, Paris Hilton and Sofia Richie were in attendance.
As the program began, a short video clip of channel ambassador Alma Jodorowsky was shown on a large screen. In the video, the star – the granddaughter of director Alejandro Jodorowsky – looks like a ’90s Barbie and looks like she’s lifting weights in a West Coast must-see.
Indeed, there were plenty of Barbie references in the show: trendy pink looks, brightly colored tweed suits, lace dresses and ombre handbags reminiscent of Pacific sunsets.
Some pieces feature bold designs and light, fun colors perfect for a doll’s wardrobe; High heels lit up in rainbow colors appeared in many looks.
This isn’t the first time Chanel has used luminous heels, as Lagerfeld used them in his collections in 2008 and 2011, but Viare’s creations reflected nostalgia and femininity at their best.
And Robbie is sure to sport some of these looks during her “Barbie” media tour.
Director and Chanel ambassador Sofia Coppola, who attended the show, told CNN the day after the show, “There’s also this playful side that Carl kicked off, the original Chanel is super chic.
And he continued, “I feel that Virginie continues in this spirit, but in her own way.”
It wasn’t all fun colors, as there were black leather dresses, cut-out bodysuits, fancy tracksuits and some designs that paid homage to old Hollywood glamor with a modern twist.
“Between dreaming on the one hand and what you want to wear on the other, it’s all a matter of balance,” Viard explained in the show’s booklet.
After the fashion show, the brochure’s dance floor became a reality with a surprise performance by American rapper Snoop Dogg.
“Coffee evangelist. Alcohol fanatic. Hardcore creator. Infuriatingly humble zombie ninja. Writer. Introvert. Music fanatic.”
