Since former Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld’s passing in early 2019, the storied French fashion house has seemingly floundered, with a series of rather average collections under Lagerfeld’s successor Virginie Viard.
Now, in an attempt to reignite some of the French fashion house’s former magic, Viard has – wisely – turned to Chanel’s heyday; the ‘80s. “I used to love the sound of flashbulbs going off at the shows in the ’80s,” creative director Virginie Viard reflected in the Chanel SS22 show notes. “I wanted to recapture that emotion.” Viard acknowledges the pivotal role fashion photographers play in the industry, bringing back the ‘80s runway format, and along with it, the former energy and joyfulness of Chanel.
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Rather than photographers relegated to the pit at the end of the runway, the runway itself was raised and photographers stationed alongside it, as was the case in days long gone. In place of models donning the slightly bored, haughty expressions that are so popular today were models who smiled down the runway, stopping along it to pose for the camera and recalling the captivating supermodel greats of the ‘80s and early ‘90s.
Naturally, the clothing took on a similar tone. Redolent of the Lagerfeld era, Chanel SS22 brought back the signature Chanel suit in a slew of vibrant colours like cotton candy pink, sunny yellow, and purple; twee knit hotpants and crop tops formed sets with matching cardigans in pastel shades; and swimwear made a welcome comeback in monochrome with tastefully tiny Chanel CC logos. Meanwhile, Viard put her own spin on the collection, closing the show with a series of looks featuring an ethereal butterfly print in flimsy chiffon.
View the collection below.
Words by Theo Rosen
