Chanel may have been sans Creative Director since Virginie Viard announced her departure earlier this summer, but the house has not lost its magic, thanks to the Creation Studio team who brought this collection to life.
The Spring/Summer 2025 collection poignantly returned to the Grand Palais - of which it the house is the patron - this Paris Fashion Week, after a four year hiatus.
This beautiful historic building, with its glass dome roof, is reminiscent of a gilded bird cage, and so it makes sense that the collection is all about flying up in the air, and the freedom that fashion has brought to her women.
More specifically, the freedom that Gabrielle Chanel brought to women at a time where they were constrained by corsets. Instead, she created fluid clothes that they could move in and feel beautiful in.
For Spring/Summer 2025, this sentiment is echoed throughout the ethereal collection.
Chiffon capes, feathered skirts and trench coats printed with feathers all give the illusion of birds in flight through the delicacy of their movement.
Floaty capes were layered over denim shirts and trousers, aviator jackets are adorned with furry Peter Pan collars, flight suits re-imagined in black or white faille, all giving a modern twist to the theme.
As always, the House codes are revisited. Think tweed suit in pastel hues or pink, orange and pink, the little black dress re-imagined with a sheer cape and embellished with low sung, bejewelled belts, the jacket with fringes.
The show notes read: "The collection is a tribute to women who freed themselves from the cumbersome gaze of society, just like Gabrielle Chanel. This flight is dedicated to them. We think of music-hall artist and literary figure Colette, to whom Gabrielle Chanel was a close friend, the garçonne movement that marked the Roaring Twenties, but also the aviatrixes who spoke out and helped change mentalities."
In summary, a "soaring voyage" that has us wanting to skip Winter and fly straight into Spring 2025.