Chanel Revisits Deauville Roots with Cinematic Flair at Paris Fashion Week

Models present creations by Chanel for the Women Ready-to-wear Fall-Winter 2024/2025 collection as part of the Paris Fashion Week, in Paris on March 5, 2024. (AFP)
Models present creations by Chanel for the Women Ready-to-wear Fall-Winter 2024/2025 collection as part of the Paris Fashion Week, in Paris on March 5, 2024. (AFP)
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Chanel Revisits Deauville Roots with Cinematic Flair at Paris Fashion Week

Models present creations by Chanel for the Women Ready-to-wear Fall-Winter 2024/2025 collection as part of the Paris Fashion Week, in Paris on March 5, 2024. (AFP)
Models present creations by Chanel for the Women Ready-to-wear Fall-Winter 2024/2025 collection as part of the Paris Fashion Week, in Paris on March 5, 2024. (AFP)

In a cinematic homage blurring fashion and film, Chanel transported its audience at Paris Fashion Week to a fictional Deauville for its latest showcase. The black and white film of the Normandy seaside town, starring Brad Pitt and front-row observer Penelope Cruz, evoked Chanel’s roots. Fusing the 1920s heyday of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel with the drama of the ’70s, designer Virginie Viard recreated the founder’s wardrobe from the “winter sojourns by the sea.” Deauville changed the course of Chanel and arguably the Paris fashion industry.

Here are some highlights of fall-winter 2024 ready-to-wear shows:

DEAUVILLE, THE MOVIE Pitt and Cruz, depicted in the idyllic town, captivated guests who watched the romance unfold on giant plasma screens, with scenes of beach frolics and bonding over an order of medium-rare Chateaubriand steaks. Deauville, which influenced Viard’s fall aesthetic with its floppy beach hats, played a pivotal role in Chanel's journey from licensed milliner to revolutionary designer.

“Deauville is where everything started for the house,” Viard said. It’s where Chanel drew inspiration from the world around her: the salty and striped uniforms of the fishermen, the speed of horses at the racetrack, the chic madames sunning on the sands.

“For this collection, we recreated the Deauville boardwalk,” Viard said, with chunky sailor sweaters, dressing gown-style belted coats and strong-shoulder peacoats. The colors evoked the hues of the town’s romantic skies with pinks, pale blue and oranges.

Despite the poetical musing and finely proportioned coats, the penchant for accessories sometimes distracted from the garments and, at times, muddied the clarity of Viard’s vision. The setting evoked memories of a past spectacle by Karl Lagerfeld, her flamboyant predecessor, known for transforming the Grand Palais into a real beach with actual water. Some attendees felt the décor, and the clothes, this time lacked vibrancy by comparison.

MIU MIU’S GROWING UP Miu Miu’s fall collection took a playful jab at the transition from childhood to adulthood. Miuccia Prada’s tongue-in-cheek little sister brand once again addressed profound themes through the lens of frivolity.

Cropped sleeves, rounded-toe shoes and pajamas with outerwear amid exaggeratedly shrunken proportions evoked the Tom Hanks movie “Big." Adulthood was seen as gloves and handbags, brooches, tailoring. The human condition, the pioneering designer seemed to say, was sometimes a fusion of both.

Miu Miu’s creations consistently embody a youthful spirit, merging elegance with playful defiance. This is evident in unexpected styling choices like pairing sometimes clashing classic pieces with undergarments or athletic wear, challenging traditional fashion norms.



Muted London Fashion Week Wraps up with Burberry Show

 A model prepares backstage for the Conner Ives catwalk show at the Savoy Hotel during London Fashion Week in London, Britain, February 23, 2025. (Reuters)
A model prepares backstage for the Conner Ives catwalk show at the Savoy Hotel during London Fashion Week in London, Britain, February 23, 2025. (Reuters)
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Muted London Fashion Week Wraps up with Burberry Show

 A model prepares backstage for the Conner Ives catwalk show at the Savoy Hotel during London Fashion Week in London, Britain, February 23, 2025. (Reuters)
A model prepares backstage for the Conner Ives catwalk show at the Savoy Hotel during London Fashion Week in London, Britain, February 23, 2025. (Reuters)

London Fashion Week wraps up with Burberry sending its Autumn/Winter collection down the catwalk on Monday, capping off a relatively muted event in the rainy British capital.

Brands are grappling with a reduced appetite for luxury products worldwide, while a slimmed-down schedule with several absentees have raised concerns about London Fashion Week's future.

Still, there was room for spectacle -- from striking silhouettes in designer Harris Reed's opening show and hats made of glass by master milliner Stephen Jones.

On the catwalks, the bubble skirt from the 1980s in several forms was one of the trends spotted.

Meanwhile, Irish designer Sinead O'Dwyer set out to show all women can be sexy, no matter age and body type.

- Burberry -

Hopeful fashionistas have been holding out for the biggest name of the week -- British megahouse Burberry -- which showcases its collection at 1900 GMT at the Tate Britain museum.

The fashion giant famed for its trench coats and signature tartan print is going through a difficult period, and is the subject of rumors about the departure of its creative director.

Daniel Lee arrived a little over two years ago and has tried to give the British mega-house a facelift.

Lee could be replaced by English designer Kim Jones, who left Dior Men at the end of January after seven years, according to media reports.

Burberry, which has been experiencing months of financial difficulty, began an "emergency" refocusing on its iconic products such as the famous trench coat late last year in a bid to stave off falling sales.

Last month it announced a further decline in sales, hit by weak demand in China, but the troubled group was showing signs of recovery under new leadership and the decline was less severe than forecast.

- Slipping behind -

Despite the presence of renowned designers such as Simone Rocha and Richard Quinn, and promising stylists such as S.S. Daley and Harris Reed, several fashion experts said London Fashion Week was falling further behind Paris and New York every year.

"There is a bit of a damp spirit, an empty feeling, to the London schedule at the moment," Daley told The Guardian newspaper before his show.

Caroline Rush, the director of the British Fashion Council which organizes London Fashion Week, acknowledged it was "a particularly challenging time" for British brands.

Brands have been dealt several blows following the pandemic, such as Brexit and last year's closure of the global luxury online platform Matches Fashion.

This year's event is almost a day shorter than the previous Autumn-Winter 2024 fashion week, with several designers opting for a dinner or presentation instead of a pricier runway show.

Buyers and influencers such as Beka Gvishiani of Style Not Com, an Instagram account that charts fashion news, did not make the trip, while Northern Irish designer Jonathan Anderson was also absent with his brand JW Anderson.

Rush, who is organizing her last London Fashion Week, said London Fashion Week remains "so relevant because ... we have so many small independent businesses, they need a platform to be able to show to reach global audiences."