Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Revisiting Chanel's Most Spectacular Runway Shows

Revisiting Chanel's Most Spectacular Runway Shows

Bidding goodbye to one of fashion's most legendary icons, Karl Lagerfeld, here is a look at some of the designer's most memorable shows.

“When I took over Chanel everybody said to me, ‘Don’t touch it. It’s dead…’ And I said to myself, ‘I love that people think that. Now let’s see.’” These are the words of a true fashion icon. Today, we say farewell to a prolific designer, Karl Lagerfeld who passed away this morning at 84 in Paris. Best known for his prolific, news-making observations and idealistic vision, Lagerfeld has touched fashion houses including Chanel, Fendi, and Chloe.

Courtier of Chanel since 1983, the multitalented designer was full of creative force and sharp wisdom within the fashion industry, propelling Chanel into an icon of international luxury. Lagerfeld’s endless imagination and exceptional genius spread across years of tireless design and reinventions of the French brand. Fashion show after fashion show, collection after collection, Lagerfeld has rejuvenated Chanel’s legend, promoting innovation that spreads across artistic horizons in a way that will not be forgotten.

Today, we look back at some of Chanel’s most spectacular shows from a legend whose shining expertise, enchanting collections and ravenous search for the new made him into a fashion mastermind ahead of his time, one who has left his mark on the past, present, and, we are sure of it, future.

Spring 2009 Ready-To-Wear




31 Rue Cambon, the Chanel boutique address in the heart of Paris, was brought to an audience of close to one thousand spectators with a life-sized facade of the home built within the Grand Palais. Madness’ “Our House” played when the doors opened, ushering Chanel-clad pedestrians down a street runway in an array of tweeds, cocktail dresses, and metallics.

Spring 2010 Ready-To-Wear




A huge, imposing barn was conjured in the Grand Palais, illustrating the fairytale-esque side of the Chanel brand. Speckles of golden wheat clung to model’s tousled hair as they emerged from the countryside wonderland of sunny beehives, peasant poppies, and rustic harvests.

Fall 2012 Ready-To-Wear




Amethyst and crystal stalagmites became centre stage at the Chanel Villa as Lagerfeld focused on fierce shapes and precision. Stripes of crystal and glitter lined each of the models’ brows, made fiercely to compliment the show’s fortress-like grand design, complete with jet blue moonstones, geometric angles, and color blocking done in an avant garde manner, reminiscent of the early days of cubism.

Fall 2013 Couture




Inside the Grand Palais, but also inside a dark and dreary apocalyptic theater of wailing opera and futuristic projections. The Emerald City of Atlantis grazes against the Far East frontier in this show when, behind a shabby set of drapes, models surrender to a masterful, 3D illusion, making for the imagined world that gave us all the sentimental feels, making for a sci-fi show reflective of Lagerfeld’s inspiration being brought upon by Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World.

Fall 2014 Ready-To-Wear




Lagerfeld’s exquisite genius reimagined the world as an all-encompassing supermarket, un grand magasin. This store offered no bargains. The shelves were embellished by thousands of items, making for a fashion candy store, mixing together the concept of pop culture fashion being satirically connected to consumerism.

Spring 2015 Ready-To-Wear




The Haussmannian, Parisian streets became the perfect locale for the designer to stage a feminist protest, honoring the long withheld French tradition of strikes and political manifestations. It was on this Boulevard Chanel that Lagerfeld created an immaculate, fierce street scene that brought every bit of Paris to a standstill. Models hoisted placards with feminist slogans sketched about them, displaying political passion in chanting statements such as “Be different,” “Women first,” and “History is her history.”

Spring 2016 Ready-To-Wear




A Chanel Airlines Terminal was installed in the Grand Palais for this collection, showcasing the concept of strong, empowering women always being on the go nowadays. A departure board was created, listing all the locations that Chanel had once showed such as Shanghai and Dallas. Blue skies were visible from inside the makeshift plane as male and female models handed showcards at a Chanel check-in kiosk. Over ninety looks were shown, between bright prints to crystal-embroidered bodices and full silhouettes, a look for every woman’s point of departure.

Cruise 2017




An open street, Chanel Cruise was staged along Havana’s Main Street with a flock of well known fashion beauties including Kendall Jenner and Gisele Bundchen. With tense relations between Cuba and the U.S. thawing, Lagerfeld offered 700 guests a spectacle welcomed by a brightly colored vintage collection of Cadillacs and Buicks. It was a timeless event that celebrated Cuban culture featured dressed printed with vintage cars and berets ad t shirts of sequins reading “Viva Coco Libre!”

Spring 2018 Ready-To-Wear




The healing power of nature - fresh air, spring water, and greenery brought Chanel up to the cliffs and cascades of waterfalls for this show. The Grand Palais was recreated into a dreamlike, whimsical wonderland lost somewhere in the countryside on the south of France that created an illusory sensation of a summer breeze and childlike rafting across a calm canyon.

Spring 2019 Couture




At the Villa Chanel we awed at Lagerfeld’s show stopping, superhuman approach of serene luxury infused with high chic drama. The Grand Palais in Paris, the January winter cold was forgotten as beyond the doors of Chanel’s estate was transformed into a spectacular, Mediterranean retreat, embracing nature, joy and the exquisite couture the French brand is iconic for. The setting became a quaint country house of blue skies, palm trees, green grass, and clear ponds. Lagerfeld’s love for eighteenth century fashion was reflected in Marie Antoinette-inspired gowns with an abundance of florals and ravishing silhouettes of wrapped bodices embellished with ruffles and ribbons, representing intricate details and stunning craftsmanship.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×