Paris Fashion Week : Chanel offers a seaside stroll

As Paris Fashion Week came to a close on Tuesday, March 5, Chanel unveiled its Fall-Winter 2024-2025 collection. Artistic director Virginie Viard drew inspiration from the Maison’s relationship with the city of Deauville.

The last day of Paris Fashion Week is usually considered the calmest of this intense week. However, this was not the case with four of the biggest fashion houses – Chanel, Miu Miu, Louis Vuitton, Saint Laurent – presenting their respective shows throughout the day. Virginie Viard kicked off the day by unveiling Chanel’s latest collection at the Grand Palais Éphémère. The event took place in the heart of the capital, but it was along the Normandy beaches that the audience was transported.

A Paris-Deauville Journey

The life of Gabrielle Chanel is an endless source of inspiration for those who have succeeded her in leading the Maison. This season, Virginie Viard references the close relationship of the creator with the city of Deauville. Coco, as she was nicknamed, made her debut in the seaside resort in 1912 with the opening of her first fashion accessories boutique on rue Gontaut-Biron. A favorite destination of high society during the Belle Époque, Deauville is therefore the perfect place to bring the spirit of Chanel to life.

In addition to its connection with the fashion house, the Norman city is an iconic location in the world of cinema. Since 1975, the American Film Festival has transported the film industry to the heart of Deauville every year. For this Chanel Fall-Winter 2024-2025 collection, Karl Lagerfeld’s former right-hand woman unveiled a glamorous homage with a short film inspired by Claude Lelouch’s movie A Man and a Woman (1966). This New Wave classic features Anouk Aimée and Jean-Louis Trintignant in a passionate love story between two widows. Their encounter leads them, among other places, to the beaches of Deauville.

During the fashion show, the photography duo Inez & Vinoodh recreated iconic scenes from the film released in 1966. However, this time, the lead couple is played by the two Oscar-winning actors Penélope Cruz and Brad Pitt. While Dutch model Rianne van Rompaey portrays a waitress, the Classic Chanel handbag is casually placed on the table during a restaurant scene.