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.



Cartier Owner Richemont Sales up 7% as Jewellery Shines 

The Swiss-based company said sales in its fourth quarter to end-March rose to 5.17 billion euros ($5.80 billion). (AFP)
The Swiss-based company said sales in its fourth quarter to end-March rose to 5.17 billion euros ($5.80 billion). (AFP)
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Cartier Owner Richemont Sales up 7% as Jewellery Shines 

The Swiss-based company said sales in its fourth quarter to end-March rose to 5.17 billion euros ($5.80 billion). (AFP)
The Swiss-based company said sales in its fourth quarter to end-March rose to 5.17 billion euros ($5.80 billion). (AFP)

Cartier owner Richemont on Friday reported a slightly better-than-expected 7% rise in quarterly sales as weaker demand in Asia was offset by brisk business in the United States where wealthy shoppers shrugged off economic uncertainty and continued to splash out on luxury jewellery.

The Swiss-based company, which also owns jewellery brand Van Cleef & Arpels and watch label Piaget, said sales in its fourth quarter to end-March rose to 5.17 billion euros ($5.80 billion), a 7% rise in constant currencies.

That is slightly more than the 6% expected, according to a Visible Alpha consensus cited by HSBC and slightly slower than the 10% growth rate in the third quarter.

The jewellery division posted an 11% rise in sales over the quarter, helping to offset an 11% decline from the watches division, which is suffering from a slump in demand in China, where a property crisis has weighed on appetite for luxury purchases like timepieces.

Luxury groups started the year with hopes that robust demand in the United States would help lift the sector out of its biggest slump in years, but from mid-February, signs of a weakening US economy began to creep in and sweeping tariff announcements in April brought more uncertainty.