Chanel unveiled its Spring/Summer 2024 Haute Couture collection in Paris on Tuesday, January 23, 2024. This collection celebrates the artistry of ballet, expressing elements of graceful movements and sweet narratives.
Throughout its history, Chanel has been synonymous with the spirit of elegance and fashion. By drawing from elements related to "buttons" and "ballet" in the brand's history, Chanel has crafted a new narrative, showcasing a refined and elegant balletcaore style.
This collection might showcase the elegance and artistry of ballet through graceful movements, unique tailoring, and details. The brand could utilize buttons as decorative elements, paying homage to its history and adding a unique style to the overall look.
This season's Chanel runway featured a circular catwalk, adorned with beige carpeting, with oversized buttons adorning the ceiling. Before the show, a short film titled "The Button," produced by the American creative company pgLang and featuring music by Kendrick Lamar was screened on the central display.
The short film stars dancer and Chanel ambassador Margaret Qualley, who embarks on a journey to find the missing button from her grandmother's Chanel jacket, leading her from New York to the Gabrielle Chanel apartment in Paris.
The short film presented on the central stage at the exhibition brought the audience a narrative through music and visuals, showcasing themes of pursuit and exploration by searching for the lost button. Buttons are symbolic in Chanel's designs, representing the brand's classic and exquisite essence.
The design of the Chanel runway seamlessly integrates with the storyline of the short film, creating a suspenseful and captivating atmosphere that showcases the brand's creativity and uniqueness. This innovative approach brings romance and ambiance to the audience.
The film stars actress, dancer, and Chanel ambassador Margaret Qualley, telling the story of her journey from New York to the Gabrielle Chanel Paris apartment in search of the lost button on her grandmother's Chanel coat.
After a short film depicting the legacy of Chanel products through generations, the protagonist Margaret's legs were encased in a white ballet bodysuit as she leaped from the screen onto the runway.
She was dressed in all white, with the pleats on the collar inspired by Gabrielle Chanel's portrait, exuding youthfulness, allure, grandeur, and innocence, embodying the essence of "Chanel".
This season's collection is built upon the ever-expanding relationship between two of the most important design codes, "buttons" and "ballet". The functional yet ornate design of the buttons represents a perfect fusion of craftsmanship and technical expertise, naturally becoming a source of inspiration for this series.
Following Margaret, the jewel-like buttons shimmered on models' chests adorned in haute couture gowns and lightweight tweed suits.
Chanel is a major patron of the Paris Opera Ballet, and while celebrating the arts, it also brings elegance and refinement to its collections.
The silhouettes are airy and breathable, with chiffon, ruffles, pleats, and lace adding volume. Floral details, sparkling embroideries, layered chiffon, and ribbons adorning jumpsuits and models' heads evoke the graceful demeanor of ballet dancers.
Nearly a century after its founder Gabrielle Chanel created her first ballet, she drew inspiration from the legendary Ballets Russes for a watercolor-like pink and blush design series, further strengthening Chanel's association with dance, accentuated by white.
The runway exuded a sweet ambiance, showcasing everything from tiered chiffon ballet skirts to layered lace, pencil skirts adorned with delicate ribbons, cloud-like chiffon, and playful sequined mini dresses.
The clothes sway with your body as you move, blending the power and finesse of both body and attire into a collection that floats gracefully in the air, elevating high fashion into a flexible realm of airy elegance.
The show's finale featured Mary in a voluminous chiffon dress adorned with floral embroidery. Artistic Director Virginie Viard expressed, "Dance evokes many stories and emotions within me. I am delighted to pass on these stories to future generations." Poetic, romantic, and infinitely graceful, she crafted a unique and beautiful narrative.