FASHION
Chanel's Californian Girls Bring Parisian Chic to Hollywood
Marion Dupuis - Madame Figaro
11-May-2023
With an ultra-glamorous and dynamic sunset collection Chanel, the label with the 2C's intertwined, walked the runway in the legendary Paramount studio in the City of Angels.
To celebrate the opening of its new store in Los Angeles, the brand chose to fly to sunny California; its largest in the United States. A few days before the show, it inaugurated the new 3,000 square meter space of its flagship store on Rodeo Drive - which was originally 1,000 square meters. In this graphic white cube whose redesign was entrusted to the inusable luxury architect, Peter Marino, the first loyal customers of the house were able to discover the four ultra-luxurious floors of the store and this insane rooftop with its view of the legendary Hollywood letters.
May 2007, Los Angeles: known for his sense of excess, Karl Lagerfeld inaugurated his second Chanel cruise in Los Angeles in an airplane hangar in Santa Monica. The models stepped out of a Chanel jet under the astonished eyes of the guests. Sixteen years later, the House of Rue Cambon revisits the City of Angels with its second cruise outside of France since the arrival of Virginie Viard as artistic director of the label. Back to Hollywood and to the American market, so important for luxury, where Chanel is present in more than 100 points of sale and more than 30 boutiques under its own name.
One night only
A few days earlier, Parisian luxury label had taken possession of Melrose Place and other popular places in L.A. by displaying billboards imagined by the graphic designer André announcing the upcoming cruise with the words "One Night Only" accompanied by the names of celebrities (Kristen Stewart, Margot Robbie, Nile Rodgers according to locations). Just to announce that, yes, Chanel is renewing its ties with the Californian dream and the cinema. The links of the house with Hollywood go back to 1931 when Gabrielle Chanel went for the first time to Los Angeles, at the invitation of producer Samuel Goldwyn to create costumes and dress actresses Greta Garbo or Gloria Swanson.
Under the Californian sun
It is also the iconography of California that is invited on this sunny cruise. A teaser video with the actress and ambassador of the brand, Alma Jodorowsky, gave a first glimpse. Dressed in sexy sportswear micro-shorts, lifting Chanel branded dumbbells, she is reminiscent of the iconic photo of Farrah Fawcett in jeans and red polo shirt on her rollerblades. "Between the homage to the glamour of the great movie stars and the evocation of a fun world that is that of aerobics, sports and roller skates, between the dream on the one hand and what we want to wear on the other, it's all a question of balance," says Virginie Viard in her note of attention.
Hollywood stories
Wednesday night, 8:30 pm, Los Angeles, the time has come for the guests to discover the 2023 version of the Chanel cruise in the legendary Paramount studio, the oldest studio in Hollywood still in operation. Front Row, a list of stars as long as the Venice Beach boardwalk, including all the friends and ambassadors of the house: Angèle, Caroline de Maigret, Margaret Qualley, Kristen Stewart, Marion Cotillard, Alma Jodorowsky, Sofia Coppola, Margot Robbie, Emma Mackey... but also on the side of the male tuxedos, Michael B. Jordan, Nile Rodgers or Snoop Dogg.
Aerobic chic
It's almost dark and the German Anna Ewers, the Claudia Schiffer and Brigitte Bardot of the 2020s, steps onto the black and white graphic catwalk, in microshorts and black cropped top trimmed with rhinestones, gaiter and white sneakers on her feet. She is followed by the Italian Vittoria Ceretti in a black swimsuit whose slits on the sides are decorated with silver stars that would not have displeased Wonder Woman or the heroines of Charlie's Angels. We can imagine these girls as fresh as the Pacific Ocean rolling along the Californian coastline on rollerblades, strawberry vanilla milkshake in hand. Athletic Californian girls with a Parisian chic mixing a big pink striped petticoat and a lamé bra in sunset color but also a silver knee length skirt with a little Chanel jacket in the colors of the sun and sparkling shoes very 1930.
