Chanel breaks free at the Grand Palais in Paris

A few months after the departure of creative director Virginie Viard, Chanel brought to the runway a show free of the preconceptions that the designer had sewn onto it. Belly buttons, bare legs, and playful platforms offered a new face of the maison at yesterday's SS25, presented at the Grand Palais in Paris and created entirely by the brand's design office. Of course, the great classics that Chanel has never parted with are still there, but this time tweed, bouclé, and chiffon were infused with a freshness that the maison had been missing since the passing of the late Karl Lagerfeld. With a surprising leap towards a contemporary vision of the female body, the collection revisited 1960s silhouettes, explored the Lolita aesthetic with delightful checkered suits, and then added a bit of flair with soft, flowing mesh. In recent months, various rumors were circulating around Paris about the next artistic director who will have the honor of succeeding Viard: while Lagerfeld, in an old interview, had said that Jeremy Scott would have been the only one capable of filling his role, in recent weeks Simone Porte Jacquemus, Marc Jacobs, and even Hedi Slimane have been rumored — who, by the way, supposedly initiated a dissing chapter during this Fashion Week. In any case, we can only hope that the next artistic director of the maison will be able to encourage the skilled tailors of the design office to let go a little more. The SS25 is already a good start.

With a total of seventy-seven looks featuring models of different ages and sizes — the beloved Jill Kortleve made a return — the new collection walked down a set devoid of tricks and frills, although set in the fantastic Grand Palais — which, by the way, was the backdrop for the last Olympics. The first outfits made a sharp cut to the traditional Chanel suit, rejuvenated by slits and shortened lengths that allowed thighs and stomachs to breathe, while platform oxfords debuted in full 1930s style but elevated by a thick white platform. Pastel-colored mohair bombers showed the maison's more adorable side, adding large, puffy collars that evoked the image of the camellia flower, a historic icon of the brand. On blue and ivory workwear jumpsuits, the models' hips were accentuated with jeweled belts, and soon after, a rather sassy leather trench coat and a glittery black evening dress made their entrance.

The show began to get serious by bringing soft cotton check and striped outfits in sorbet colors under the spotlight, with visible bras matching the coordinated sets, reminiscent of the 1990s Chanel by Lagerfeld, or long, wide-knit, see-through dresses, also with waists highlighted by belts. The black lace pieces once again demonstrated the maison's more sumptuous side, with floral dresses playfully echoing the same pattern on the socks. Several looks featured an antique print in gentle blue and colored feathers on capes, wide skirts, and large shirts, but then denim revived the style by bringing back the same feathers in the form of rhinestones on modern silhouettes. It was towards the end that Chanel took flight, with feathered dresses covering the hems of jackets and dresses, another jumpsuit, this time in silk, embellished with a heavy silver chain around the hips, and a transparent overcoat revealing a small, fitted bodycon suit underneath. A seafoam green 2000s look that included a low-waisted pleated skirt, a transparent tank top, and a thick black leather belt definitively broke Chanel away from the aged vision the fashion industry had of the brand in previous seasons: with a “gutsy” show, the design office of the historic maison demonstrated that it is not afraid of renewal. To do so in the best way, all that’s needed is the help of a brilliant designer.