Chanel evokes cinematic glamour at Paris Fashion Week

PARIS: Chanel creative director Virginie Viard added a streak of Old Hollywood glamour to a slinky collection for spring and summer, sent down a catwalk lined with enormous screens projecting dreamy, black-and-white images of formal gardens and plush interiors.

One of the largest labels to hit the runway for Paris Fashion Week, the show was held on the final day of events that have drawn crowds from abroad, marking the luxury industry's strong return from pandemic disruptions.

The audience sat in a darkened space that lit up when a short film began. It starred Kristen Stewart, who sat in the front row with South Korean singing star Jennie Ruby Jane.

“The mythologies that define us, that unite us, they’re ours to create,” said Stewart, in the film that showed her posing in the Paris metro and walking on an empty cobblestoned street at night.

“Everything is on the table.”

Models marched around the room on a carpet of black sand that felt squishy underfoot, wearing sparkly, low-heeled boots and shoes, paired with matching socks pulled up over the calves.

Garments were elevated, with the lineup segueing from tweed minidresses and loosely-fitting suits to shimmery gold gowns and sweeping, airy skirts.

The designer went light on accessories, with just a few handbags and sparse use of the label’s signature gold chains, but added touches of sparkle and tufts of feathers to other looks.

After the show, the audience stepped out into the bright sun to crowds of fans, who called TikTok star and magazine editor Bryanboy over to greet them.