The French fashion house chose the sumptuous Villa d’Este to communicate the inspiration for the collection – the comings and goings of a glamourous hotel.
The Villa has long be a favourite of celebrities, artists and film stars, the legendary location favoured by Elizabeth Taylor, Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich for their vacations, and more recently, Lady Gaga, Elton John and Robert De Niro.
Cruise Collections, or resort or holiday collections as they are sometimes also known, launch between the two main ready-to-wear seasons, spring/summer and autumn/winter. They are created with those travelling to a climate other than their own in mind, often designed around getaway outfits, and Chanel’s presentation certainly resembled the perfect wardrobe for a summer escape.
Carefree elegance and celebration ran through the collection, brought to life in short flounced taffeta ball gowns in pastel colours – peach, pink and blue, recalling the nearby lake. The sun-kissed colour palette, right up to the tweed suits, echoes that of the Villa’s interior and exterior, with its ochres, yellows and oranges.
The ‘joy of getting dressed up to be noticed’ was another idea the house suggested informed head-turning looks in daring shapes and shimmering sequins.
The magnolias, wisteria, camellias, rhododendrons and oleanders in the Villa’s gardens also inspire the lacework.
See all the looks:
Photos / Chanel
