Chanel Cruise 2016: Welcome to the candy shop
updated the 6 October 2015 à 23:07
Bright colours dotted the landscape and the outfits as Karl Lagerfeld transformed the futuristic Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul into an opulent candy shop.
The Met Gala may be the biggest fashion event in the glitterati calendar, but if you’re Karl Lagerfeld, you can host an event in the middle of Timbuktu and still attract the A-listers. After Singapore in 2013 and Dubai in 2014, this year, the city was Seoul and the A-listers were Kristen Stewart, Gisele Bundchen, Tilda Swinton and a host of prominent Korean pop stars, models and actors who gathered front row to view the Kaiser’s latest masterpieces for Chanel Cruise 2016.
Colour, colour and more colour. That was the theme of the show from the outfits to the setting, where guests sat on candy-hued seats reminiscent of large lollipops. The futuristic Dongdaemun Design Plaza, which recently hosted Seoul Fashion Week was transformed into a rainbow-esque wonderland, dotted with bright coloured circles on the catwalk, which the models strutted out onto.
While signature Chanel looks like tweed, black and form fitting cuts were present, this season saw Karl Lagerfeld pay homage to the South Korean traditional dress, the hanbok, giving it a sleeker silhouette and a modern colour palette. Other Karl Lagerfeld interpretations of the South Korean costume included full, high-waisted dresses in patchwork silk and pastel colours and another version in soft pink that closed the show.
Every piece that trotted out onto the rainbow polka-dot catwalk looked comfortable, chic and summer ready. The faux braided buns, reminiscent to Star Wars’ Princess Leia’s hairdo was actually inspired by the hairstyles in Korean period dramas. They were in stark contrast to the clothes but added a playful aesthetic to the looks. Naturally, South Korean model Soo Joo Park had the honour of opening and closing the show in her native country.
Although cheerful bright colours dominated the show, they turned out classy, beautifully matched and not unlike some kindergarten art project gone wrong. Speaking of which, the French fashion label had organized a mini confectionery carnival for the local kids outside Dongdaemun in honour of Children’s Day which is celebrated nationally the next day. As for the adult after party? Karl had his signature orange and white camelias gracing the venue, making for a very Instagram-able photo.
In true Chanel fashion, the Kaiser had managed to steal the thunder and media attention from the Met Gala (an impossible feat had it been anyone else) with his latest Chanel Cruise collection. There may be three months till the next show, but for now, we truly think the maestro has outdone himself this time.
Karen George
