Leaning on one of the House’s historic motifs, Chanel’s camellia flower was the central figure of the Fall/Winter 2023 collection. “The camellia is more than a theme; it’s an eternal code of the House,” explains Creative Director Virginie Viard. “I find it reassuring and familiar; I like its softness and strength.”
Since the 1920s, the emblem has appeared in practically every Chanel collection, and various Stories surround Coco’s first encounter with the flower. According to legend, Coco first became fascinated with the flower after reading “La Dame aux Camélias” by Alexandre Dumas, where the main character wore a white camellia. Another theory is that Coco liked camellias because they have no scent, so they won’t compete with her well-known perfume, Chanel No. 5. The stories are intriguing, but what was even more amazing was how Viard skillfully reworked this well-known concept throughout her 66 designs for the upcoming season.
The audience sat in steep risers around the area, a large exhibition hall south of the Eiffel Tower, and the entire set was designed around tall, white camellia sculptures that faced them. Images of Nana Komatsu with heavy eyeliner and a sleek hairstyle that curved up at the bottom, intended to mimic Polly Maggoo from the 1960s film, were projected onto the huge camellias.
The show opened with various shades of grey, black, and white. On a long, narrow tweed coat, white camellias climbed a black trellis; they gathered like a corsage on sleek, Mod-style coats made of the black patent, and they appeared as polka dots all over cardigan jackets. The flowers were everywhere, from the smallest embroidery to button forms to the large, fuzzy angora motif on a jumper and swinging on numerous chain bags. Viard incorporated prints, lace designs, and embellishments on sequin jackets to establish the iconic Chanel foundations, but the camellia was unquestionably the show’s star. The 25-petal Chanel blossom was printed onto voluminous jackets, showed up as 3D decorations on knit shorts, and surfaced as the dominant graphic motif on dresses. These jovial floral accents felt lovely and delicate, never overly sweet. Furthermore, because Of Viard’s skillful touch, anyone may wear the Chanel with flower with pride without feeling like they’re participating in the logomania craze.
The polka dot arrangements of the floral accents were a great diversion from the brand’s traditional tweed outfits’ linear design. Viard included a new silhouette in addition to Maison’s staple suit sets to break up the monotony of skirts, slacks, and short shorts.
And when you believed Viard couldn’t do anything further with the camellias, she surprised everyone. Models wore white hair clips shaped like the bloom, while a pale-pink purse