Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture Spring Summer 2011: Chanel

Whispered by The Clothes Whisperer

If we return to our analogy of couture as the supreme church of our little world, if the Diocese of Armani dropped the ball and ventured into the realm of saints rather than sinners, here comes Saint Karl, literally gliding down to Earth on a cloud of pink chiffon to save the Red Carpet from the potential drekitude of Prive.





The collection had an overall sixties vibe to it, with perhaps a bit of Great Gatsby thrown in. Baby doll dresses, sheer dressing gowns and puffball party dresses in pretty girly colors like pink set an ultra-feminine and soft vibe from the get go.Little peacoats, pencil skirts and cigarette pants in an array of Easter Egg pastels--literally the stuff of little girls' dreams.




The classic Chanel suit was rendered in swing jackets and muted tones. Layered over floral printed drop waist tunics and skinny jeans with cavalry button detailing at the ankle, the sweet-as-pie look was given a bit of a youthful twist by layering.




Karl introduced a bit of rock n' roll edge, a wee bit of toughness to balance all the sugary sweet, in the form of wet-look skintight trousers and the same pant also rendered in a sequin--either matted silver or black. 



Models had natural makeup, bare legs and all wore flats. Sexiness was distilled out of the collection, replacing the siren vibe with the soft, sensual and flirty. Back when women were courted and chased, leaving more to the imagination via transparent teddies and peekaboo petticoats.

Then came the segue to evening, and for all the lovely tailoring that had come before, the second the first ethereal drop waist sheer lampshade skirt teamed with oversized sequin tee appeared at runway's end, it's here, this moment, Chanel Couture eveningwear that the whole industry holds its breath for.

Oh saint Karl, saint Karl, where to begin with my canonization of thee and thy SS11 Couture gowns? Shall we start by glorifying the separates for black tie? With the maxi skirt set to storm ready to wear for SS11, why should the red carpet not follow? And Karl has given us plenty of silhouettes to choose from--full skirted taffeta ball gown, chiffon lampshade and relaxed tiered drop waist. Gown are getting boring, and they'll always be there, so I can't wait to see Diane Kruger rocking one of these gorgeous two piece ensembles at a premiere.

The beadwork on these pieces is just absolutely extraordinary, especially the delicate chainmail knit which constituted a few shifts and even a full length trench coatdress. In stark contrast to the leering sheen of the Armani Prive lurex, these fabrics and Karl's ateliers treatment of them thereof confirm in my heart of hearts that the practice and tradition of couture is still well and alive in the heart of Paris.