Karl's "Immaculate" Concept

Last night Amanda Harlech, Karl Lagerfeld's muse, described this morning's Chanel show as "immaculate." "It's a new departure, it's completely streamlined and classical," she said during a fitting in the house's studio. She wasn't kidding. Under the soaring roof of the Grand Palais, Lagerfeld presented an almost entirely black and white Chanel collection this morning--one green tweed suit, a green pair of pants and a pink sweater aside. And, except for one lone pink jade and gold necklace punctuated with double C's, there wasn't a logo in sight. The stage was set this time as an abstract interior with models walking through sets of rooms (the walls had Chanel logos), playing off against last season's brilliant rue Cambon street scene. As Harlech explained it, the concept behind this collection was to create a sleek black base that could be added to. And so the frilly chiffon cuffs and collars on the black wool dresses, suits, and even some of the evening looks, were removable. In this economy, two looks for the price of one might not be such a bad idea. Accessories were also monochromatic with the majority of the shoes in black, some with a green jade ring in the heel. The only real handbag was a cheeky take on Barbie packaging with the classic Chanel quilted bag ensconced in a plastic set complete with lipstick, powder, perfume, and an iPod.

Catwalking.com