Chanel took to the catwalk at Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday to show off its tech-inspired, Spring-Summer 2017 collection (yes, they’re already that much cooler than you).
Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld described it as an exercise in “intimate technology.” Here’s what we know for sure: Lagerfeld has been watching a lot of Daft Punk film clips, and next month’s fashion magazines are going to be filled with “pixelated tweed.”
The ready-to-wear collection was shown off in Chanel’s customary Paris runway venue, the Grand Palais. But this time the set was converted into a giant data center, reminiscent of a “Silicon Valley” set-piece (if T. J. Miller was a 5 foot 10 model with porcelain skin). Even the Ethernet cables were on-trend.
As Chanel describes it, the show started with “robots from an unknown future” — a future where artificial intelligence has worked out how to perfectly emulate your Great Aunt Hilda’s favourite Sunday twinset.
What followed was lashings of Tron-like neon, wraparound sunglasses and what Chanel is calling “caps on the side,” mixed with label staples like heavy chain, quilted leather camellia motifs and tweed.
There were even light-up handbags as well as a little robot clutch, complete with working circuit board.
We understand why you’re confused. The cropped jackets say “Princess Grace” but the sideways caps say “Fresh Prince of Bel Air.”
You aren’t meant to understand fashion, you simply receive it with humility from the Great Karl, as he descends his crystal staircase every quarter, whether it be in New York, London, Milan or Paris, to tell you what to wear.
