Held in the Château de Chenonceau, a romantic renaissance castle in France’s Loire Valley, the Chanel Métiers d’Art 2021 show was presented to an audience of one; Kristen Stewart. The favourite home of Catherine de Medici, the sixteenth century Queen of France, the chateau was a natural choice for the French fashion house’s creative director. “It was designed and lived in by women, including Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de’ Medici,” explained Virginie Viard. “It is a castle on a human scale. And Catherine de’ Medici’s emblem was a monogram composed of two intertwined Cs, just like that of Chanel.”
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Undoubtedly, the Chanel Métiers d’Art 2021 show boasted an impressive backdrop, but what of the garments themselves? Viard seemed to draw inspiration from the largely monochromatic colour palette of the Château de Chenonceau, with the collection mimicking the black and white tiles of the Royal Gallery where the runway took place. When viewed as a whole from a (significant) distance, the collection seems, well, Chanel enough. However, when broken down, it falls flat.
The checkerboard fixation gets old quickly, with the print seen on several shiny mini skirts, as well as a deconstructed tweed maxi skirt, clutches, and a dress with exaggerated sleeves. Perhaps a nod to The Queen’s Gambit?
A downright odd choice was the inclusion of lurex fur trimmings on tweed jackets which rather resembled muppet hair, as was a seemingly bizarre bohemian interlude, which featured paisley printed denim, abstract florals on woollen skirt sets, and beaded belts and necklaces.
But the most peculiar of all was the attempt to bring back the early aughts styling technique of leggings under garments. Waxy, shiny lycra leggings in hues of grey, baby pink, and blue made their way under mini skirts, open coats, dresses, twin sets, and maxi skirts, with the resultant effect resembling something a Disney Channel tween star would wear.
As for where Viard hits the right note? When Chanel sticks to what Chanel does best. The best pieces come in the form of tweed hot pants, tweed skirt suit sets, and tweed dresses. All worn sans leggings, we beg of you.
Chanel Métiers d’Art 2021 looks like someone has vaguely recalled the key sartorial elements of Chanel (read: twin sets, tweed) and tried to amalgamate them with every pop culture element of the time, thus failing to form a desirable (or frankly wearable) collection. Somehow the audience of one seems fitting.
Words by Theo Rosen
