Stitch Mix: Music, Mood and the Chanel Fashion Show
Like a belt or purse matching the shoes, fashion and music can be coordinated perfectly. Whether it was during Karl Lagerfeld’s iconic run as creative director, or now with Virgine Viard at the lead, the Chanel fashion house knows all about, all of the above.
In December 2019, Chanel posted its Métiers d’art (art professions) show, a yearly event highlighting the artistry of the many ateliers with whom the house works. (Think, in part, meticulous beadwork applied by master embroiderers.) Held at the Grand Palais in Paris, this year’s show—the first for Viard since Lagerfeld’s passing—was entitled “31 Rue Cambon,” the address of Chanel’s Paris store. The set was co-designed by the film director, Sofia Coppola and was inspired by Coco Chanel’s apartment, with its curved staircase surrounded by angled mirrors; large chandeliers descend from the rafters to illuminate the already brilliant homage.
Stylin’; Profilin’
“Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman.”
— Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel (1883 - 1971)
As the old adage goes: Perfection is in the details, and this rings true regarding Viard’s use of a ‘70s/‘80s-inspired soundtrack. When the model, Vittoria Ceritti opens the show, she glides elegantly down the staircase to Roxy Music’s “To Turn You On” from Avalon, with Bryan Ferry’s ethereal vocals further setting the tranquil tone.
Other songs include:
Sam Taylor Wood produced by the Pet Shop Boys on “I’m In Love with a German Film Star”;
Soft Cell’s jazzy, peppy, yet ironically moody, “Torch”;
The French singer, Amanda Lear’s Euro-Disco, “Follow Me.”
If you need to edit your time, watch the Roxy Music section, then skip to 10:30, featuring LCD Soundsystem’s “Oh Baby,” with its dark, yet dreamy, synth-pop sound. Thanks to the music choices and the models (including Kaia Gerber near the end) walking and weaving around each other in perfect harmony, these two sections are meditative, hypnotic, couture with a calming effect, certainly something to embrace in these times. Note that Ceritti closes the show as well, creating a satisfying sense of completion.
Watch as fashion and music fit beautifully like hand to glove:
Fashion Forest: Chanel Fall/Winter 2018/19
Earlier this year, Karl Lagerfeld and the team at Chanel didn’t just present fashion, but illusion. With the fall season less than two week away, check out the brand’s F/W show, where the Grand Palais in Paris was transformed from ordinary catwalk into a walk in the woods. This cinematic set decoration (complete with a fab prefab-inspired structure) immerses the viewer into a crisp autumn wonderland, while a soundtrack featuring the ‘60s-underground-rock sound of The Liminanas (“Dimanche”; “Istanbul is Sleepy”) and the ‘80s-pop mood of A.R. Kane’s “Love from Outer Space,” all work together to create a fashion-forward future that is romantically retro.