chanel spring 2011 couture

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Set at Rue Cambon, lined in mirrored panels simulating Coromandel screens in Coco Chanel's apartment, Karl Lagerfeld created what he calls an "evolution an the opposite." The show opened up with a surprisingly casual take on the house tweed suit philosophy, key to which was denim. Lagerfeld called the look "beyond simple," a point well made by the accessories, which amounted to a black satin flat with a pointed toe that left the foot nearly naked, and a black ribbon choker worn high on the neck and fastened into the model's chignon. They were the perfect chic contrast to the collection's primary color — pink.


And just like that, Lagerfeld snapped out of it. For the second half of the show, Lagerfeld showed his opposite side. He made the point that a big part of Chanel's couture business is banked on day clothes. "Life is not a cocktail party," you know. The evening portion of the show was equally couched in easy pieces — tunics, T-shirts, tank tops and long, sweeping skirts — but here, rendered in exquisite treatments in ethereal, barely there colors. There was seed beading, latticework, frothy skirts done in what looked like a patchwork of streamers and delicate floral appliqués. As Lagerfeld put it after the show, the structure of almost every piece is made “pearl by pearl, thread by thread.” 


source: wwd.com