The Grand Palais, restored to its full imperial splendour, was the setting for a Chanel couture collection that felt like a full reckoning with the house's extraordinary legacy. The set — a garden of white flowers stretching to the horizon — established a mood of romantic profusion that the clothes both honoured and gently subverted.
The opening looks in the house's signature tweeds were revelatory. Cut with precision that would have satisfied Mademoiselle herself but worn with ease that felt entirely contemporary, they set the tone for a collection that understood tradition as a living thing. The braid-trimmed suits in cream and ivory were among the most beautiful things shown in Paris this season.
The evening section delivered everything couture's grandest house should: volumes of extraordinary tulle, embroideries of almost incomprehensible intricacy, and gowns that moved through the Grand Palais's light with a grace that made the audience involuntarily hold its breath.
