““The idea is to offer a breath of fresh air, a voyage, a light-hearted and happy fantasy.”
After sixteen years, French Maison CHANEL returned to the city of Los Angeles to present its new Cruise 2023 collection inspired by an eighties aesthetic but reinvented according to the improved vision of creative director, Virgine Viard. Held at Paramount Picture Studios on a chilly Tuesday night, the show was such a splashy spectacle with incredible pieces design spotted on the runway, while even Snoop Dogg was dancing in his comfy bleacher seat while models strutted on a black-and-white Chanel basketball-like court with two large scoreboards. Besides, an A-studded guest list of celebrities attended the runway show and brought all the glamour and elegance to the front row.
The runway show was set at an enormous roller-skating rink in black and white. At its centre, a giant double CC logo; at its ends two huge Chanels. On its stands were electronic basketball score boards, with Paris locked in battle with Los Angeles at 23-24.
Creative director Virginie Viard took Old Hollywood, Los Angeles, and American physical fitness in the 1930s and the ‘40s, the ‘70s, the ‘80s, and the ‘90s imagery as key inspiring years for the collection. “The idea is to offer a breath of fresh air, a voyage, a light-hearted and happy fantasy. Between a tribute to the glamour of great film stars and evoking the world of fun to be had with aerobics, sports, and roller skating, between the dream on one hand and what you want on the other, it’s all a question of balance,” said Chanel artistic director Virginie Viard in the collection’s show notes. And she also added the inspiration for the cruise collection, “From John Travolta to Jane Fonda, so many actresses, the body, the gym, aerobics,” “Un per sport, un peu tweed.”
The collection embodies the idealized spirit of Los Angels, creating a sporty atmosphere of the city in the 80s, mixing the beach and outdoor sports, with the glamor characteristic of Hollywood studios. The entire show was reminiscent of dynamic aerobics videos and an homage to American entertainment, clearly influenced by actress Farrah Fawcett, whose signature look of a bouffant hairstyle and ankle leggings was the theme of the collection.
The CHANEL Cruise 2024 collection featured a series of swimsuits paired with sneakers with thick rubber soles and covered with sparkly leg warmers, referring to the gym craze of the ‘80s, a là the 1985 film “Perfect”. There were also double-C cutout bikinis with sneakers, hot pants, flirty bouclé suits, crystal-edged dolphin shorts, comet-embroidered high-cut leotards, Barbie pink tweed short shorts, bustiers, minidresses, tank tops, jackets, coats, chiffon dresses in bold camellia prints, bedazzled bodysuits, tailored crop tops, basketball-style short, leather button-up dress, and leg warmers.
Footwear included daintier lace-up leather boxing style shoes, crystal-encrusted ankle strap high-heeled sandals, round-toe ankle-strap heels, disco light-up heels, sparkly heels, patent leather ballet flats, and more. The collection’s palette ranges from pastels and saturated hues, including shades of bubble-gum pink, eggplant, and yellow with pops of blue and gold.
Stars like Margot Robbie, Paris Hilton, Riley Keough, Lucy Boynton, Rose Byrne, Kristen Stewart, Tracee Ellis Ross, Sofia Richie Grainge, Nike Rogers, Kim Petras, and a slew of others attended the front row while the show also had Snoop Dogg’s live performance.