Most familiar with Chanel know the designer’s love of Deauville, a famous beach town in France. It’s also where she was inspired to make easy-to-move-in clothing from jersey, more commonly used for men’s garments at the turn of the 20th century, and where she opened her first business, a hat shop in 1912 to serve the fine ladies of the tony beachside town in need of a de rigueur chapeau designed to block the sun. In this spirit, Chanel Artistic Director Virginie Viard approached her Fall Winter 2024 collection, expressing the sentiment in show notes: “Deauville is where everything started for the House. 1912, the creation of her hat shop and then very quickly the first clothes with their visionary, radical style. It’s where it all began for Gabrielle Chanel. This story is very close to my heart.”
She punctuated almost the entire collection with big oversized straw hats pinned up in front with brooches, worn by the models strolling down a recreated boardwalk with a giant LED screen showing an actual boardwalk and a model dressed in one of the runway looks. In a sense, Viard was driving home the idea that everyday life is a runway for the self-assured Chanel woman.
Given the style of these hats, the collection had a “20s meets the 70s feel” thanks to their popularity in the decade that fashion never stops referencing. However, the models strutted to a 90s-era soundtrack by French Band Air’s “Kelly Watch The Stars,” “La Femme d’Argent,” and “Sexy Boy,” the latter perhaps alluding to the newsboy caps that were also prevalent in the show, which also was rife with tomboy stylings.
Lest a beach theme conjures images of warm weather beach wear, Viard imagines these bord de la mer women strolling on a November day from dawn till dusk as the giant LED-screen projected the sun’s evolution to help set the mood.
So did David Bowie and Anouk Aimée, a great friend of Gabrielle Chanel according to the show release as well; but instead of Ziggy Stardust think Bowie’s louche suit style or Aimee’s penchant for a loosely-belted wrap coat as Viard showed broad-shouldered peacoats, robe-style coats over the houses tweed suits, box-pleated skirts, culottes and cropped trousers. Denim and an ombrè coat look felt especailly fresh. Suede platform boots anchor the looks made for a promenade.
Chunky sailor sweaters and knits depict the Deauville landscapes, printed silk chiffons, herringbone prints, low-cut tops with flounces, jumpsuits, and negligees transfer gentle waves and breezes to garments. The ever-changing sky tones of sunrise to sunset are reflected in a color palette of vibrant or pastel shades of pink, mauve, orange, pale blue, brown, and gold lamé. A print draws its cues from the town’s connection with the 7th art, its American Film Festival, and Claude Lelouch’s A Man and a Woman.
The latter was paid tribute to in a film by front-row guests Inez and Vinoodh, a photography duo who created a film that opened the show starring frequent brand collaborator Penelope Cruz and Brad Pitt, who starred as an incredibly beautiful couple presumably dining and more at a posh Deauville resort.
It had the fantasy and sex appeal that anyone decked out in Chanel can surely afford. Selling the whole mystique continues to be a boon for the French luxury label, which recently made news for increasing its prices (it is hard to find a handbag under 5-figures), and the most recent financial statement on its website reported 17.2 billion euros for 2022, a 17 percent YOY increase from 2021.
Leena Nair, Chanel’s Global Chief Executive Officer, who joined in January 2022, commented at the time, “The strong performance we are announcing today reflects the strength of our brand, our client relationships, and the freedom of creation that defines everything we do. Since joining Chanel in January 2022 and engaging with our teams across the world, I have experienced the passion and creativity that is reflected in these results.” Once again Viard captured and bottled the everlasting spirit of Coco Chanel that fuels such numbers.
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