Karl inspired by Ancient Hellas
Chanel Cruise 2018: Greece Is the Word
Karl Lagerfeld unfurled a treasure trove of cultural references for his show in Paris, inspired by Ancient Greece.
By Joelle Diderich, WWD, NY Times Fashion, The Guardian, ParisMatch
From http://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-features/chanel-cruise-2018-greece-is-the-word-10880141/
Ideologically, Mr. Lagerfeld asserted that his re-creation was conceptual: “Reality is of no interest to me,” he said. “I use what I like. My Greece is an idea.”
For his latest Chanel cruise collection, Karl Lagerfeld couldn’t find a venue in Greece that he liked — so he brought Greece to Paris instead.
The designer conjured a replica of the Temple of Poseidon in the Galerie Courbe at the Grand Palais, where guests struck tourist poses against a movie-set backdrop of crumbling seaside ruins.
Banks of powerful lights created the illusion of Mediterranean sun, in contrast to the gray and drizzly sky that lurked behind the venue’s skylight, bathing a parade of modern-day goddesses strapped into colorful high-heeled gladiator sandals. After all, Lagerfeld said, it’s all about make-believe.
“It had nothing to do with a country. Reality is of no interest to me. I use what I like. My Greece is an idea,” the designer, who skipped postshow interviews this season, said in notes provided by Chanel.
Keira Knightley, Pedro Almodóvar, Isabelle Huppert and Charlotte Casiraghi were among the 800 guests spread over two shows, each followed by a Greek buffet in the Mini Palais restaurant, which spilled over onto a terrace framed by imposing classical columns— these ones dating back to the 19th century.
The set had Knightley dreaming of a vacation. “That would be nice, but it’s not the case,” said the British actress, who declined to comment on rumors she would reprise her role as Elizabeth Swann in the next instalment of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise.
To showcase the Modernity of Antiquity – an addition to the collections shown between autumn/winter and spring/summer offerings – the space featured ionic columns, a Greek island sunset as backdrop and an impressive olive tree. The inspiration: the Parthenon and the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion. France may be on the verge of a political shift but Chanel – arguably the jewel in French fashion’s crown – can still be relied on for a blockbuster show.
