Chanel stages grand bow to future as Naomi Campbell speaks about legacy of diversity
by Naharnet Newsdesk 12 March 2025, 15:20
By all logic, Chanel should be floundering. A global juggernaut without a captain, the house has been in limbo since the abrupt departure of Virginie Viard, drifting toward an uncertain horizon while awaiting the arrival of Matthieu Blazy in the fall.
Yet against all odds, inside the majestic Grand Palais, Chanel did what it has done for a century: endure. And not just endure. Dazzle.
The Paris Fashion Week fall show on Tuesday unfolded beneath a colossal swirling black ribbon, an audacious centerpiece that coiled toward the ceiling, defiant and theatrical. It was a collection that could have been a placeholder lost in transition. Instead, it was sterling — refined, exacting and utterly Chanel.
The front row was a collision of fashion royalty and Hollywood power. Naomi Campbell, Riley Keough, and Charlotte Casiraghi led the pack, joined by actresses Dakota Fanning and Simone Ashley, while music sensations Raye and AP Dhillon underscored Chanel's cross-generational and global appeal.
Bows, pearls and sheer genius (pun intended)
Many looks were framed by a layer of sheer silk — flowing blouses draped over jackets, tulle overlays that subtly distorted the lines of traditional tweed tailoring, and diaphanous flounced capes that floated above classic Chanel silhouettes.
This interplay of transparency and structure gave the collection an airy, dreamlike quality. Matte satin ribbon trimmed a military-inspired anthracite tweed jacket, while pretty bows secured balloon sleeves on a sheer black organza tunic top. A trio of dresses featured a fluttering ribbon print tracing the brand's signature interlocking Cs.
Allover looks played with superpositions of the same fabric, creating surrealist effects: a cherry red tweed jacket, wrap skirt and flared pants appeared alongside matching accessories like a boater hat, gloves and boots. By blending light, illusionary fabrics with bold statement pieces, Chanel underscored its mastery of craftsmanship and innovative design.
One accessory stole the show: a giant pearl handbag, appearing across multiple looks and drawing instant snapping. Alongside the monochromatic elegance, there were flashes of color — red tweed, bright silk linings and surrealist layering, an echo of Karl Lagerfeld 's high-energy collections.
Naomi Campbell on a legacy of diversity
In an interview with The Associated Press, Campbell, a longtime Chanel icon, reflected on the show's nostalgic '90s influences. "I love the artisan, the workmanship. They go back and look into the history of the DNA of the brand —that's what they think of first and foremost. And then they create it, but with that twist on it. This show for me had a lot of things that reminded me of the 90s, and I loved the silhouettes, the skirt, the jacket, the skirt and pants together. Everything was very wearable."
She also reminisced about her friend, the late Lagerfeld, whose vision defined Chanel for decades. "I really miss his honesty," she said. "He had a soft spot, but he never sugarcoated anything. We always worked at night, and sometimes he'd tell me to stay over. It was such an incredible time. His presence is still felt, always."
Beyond the clothes, Campbell emphasized Chanel's strides in diversity. Last year, Lupita Nyong'o was named a house ambassador, further solidifying Chanel's commitment to representation: "I have such respect for Chanel for being the first luxury brand to go to sub-Saharan Africa, to Dakar, which I got to witness."
The house had a landmark Métiers d'Art show in Dakar in 2022, the first time a major luxury brand staged a show in the region. It launched an ongoing cultural exchange program. It wasn't just a one-time event. Chanel has continued its engagement by bringing students to Paris and sending artisans to Senegal, fostering a creative dialogue.
"That, to me, is action," Campbell said, smiling. "I'm really proud that I got to witness that in my lifetime in this business."
She has been vocal about the racism she has faced throughout her modeling career. Despite her prominence, she often received fewer advertising assignments than her white counterparts and was not signed by a cosmetics company until 1999. In 1991, she said, "I may be considered one of the top models in the world, but in no way do I make the same money as any of them."
Over the years, she has used her platform to push for greater diversity, co-founding the Diversity Coalition to hold the industry accountable for its lack of representation.
Times, it seems, are changing. Slowly but surely.
Riley Keough on rock-and-roll style
Elvis Presley 's granddaughter and "Daisy Jones & The Six" star Riley Keough, who famously swung in a giant bird cage at a recent Chanel show, jumped up from her front row seat to share her excitement about being a brand ambassador. "It's amazing. I feel so lucky to be involved with the house," she said.
When asked about her personal style and whether it was influenced by her grandfather, she acknowledged a love for less traditionally feminine silhouettes: "I typically go for something a little more androgynous."
Keough also spoke about her role as the custodian of Graceland, Elvis Presley's estate. After Lisa Marie Presley's passing in 2023, she embraced this responsibility, balancing the weight of her grandfather's legacy with her own voice and values. "I really just try and follow what my mother did," she said. "I feel lucky to have seen how she wanted Graceland represented. It's about respecting what's come before while still finding my own path."
With Blazy set to take the reins in October, the anticipation for Chanel's next era is palpable. Keough summed up the sentiment: "Everyone's really excited. Chanel has such a huge legacy, and it's got to be right — but I don't think it will disappoint."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Nahar Net
10 hours ago
- Nahar Net
When a fox says 'help' in London, there's often an ambulance on its way
by Naharnet Newsdesk 10 June 2025, 21:49 The injured fox is cornered in a cage, teeth bared and snarling at the woman trying to help it. Nicki Townsend is unfazed. Wearing only rubber gloves and an outfit suitable for a yoga class, she approaches with soothing words. "All right, baby," she coos as she deftly drapes a towel over his head, grabs him by the scruff of his neck, scoops up his wounded legs and moves him to a clean cage. It's not the way her day typically begins, but there's nothing routine about rescuing foxes. "You can never predict what you're going to arrive at," Townsend said. While not as visible as phone boxes or double-decker buses, the red fox is a fixture in London, a city not known for its wildlife. But living on the streets, alleys and back gardens of a dense urban environment can be rough and when foxes need help, they have their own ambulance service — and Townsend may be on her way. The foxes didn't invade London so much as adapt and expand their range inward as the city spread to their habitat in the 1930s and suburbs grew. Love 'em or hate 'em But people and the bushy-tailed member of the canine family have not always lived in harmony, and the species has admirers and adversaries. For everyone enchanted seeing a fox trotting nonchalantly down their street at dusk or basking in a sunny backyard, there are plenty who see them as pests. They poop where they like, tear into garbage and the vixens in heat let out terrifying shrieks in the dead of winter when attracting a mate. "It's like Marmite with foxes," Townsend said, referring to the food spread that is an acquired and divisive taste. "You either love them or hate them." The divide between the two camps led Trevor Williams to found what became The Fox Project nearly 35 years ago. Once a bass player in the rock group Audience that opened for Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, Williams had been active in the campaign to stop fox hunting when he redirected his protection efforts to the city, where foxes were once routinely killed. "Because of the myths that have occurred over the years, there's still a lot of suspicion about what foxes might be," Williams said. "You know, they're going to bite the baby, they're going to eat the cat, they're going to run away with your husband." The project has since grown from providing information on deterring foxes to rescuing 1,400 a year, including 400 cubs, though only about half survive to be released. City offers cheap eats and unique hazards There are estimated to be 15,000 foxes in London. The project covers a swath of south London and its leafy suburbs while other organizations not devoted solely to foxes handle other parts of the city. While the omnivores survive on small animals, bugs and berries in the wild, they favor easily scavenged leftovers in the city and handouts that make them more dependent on humans. Their main urban menaces are cars, getting snagged in soccer nets or getting stuck in tight spaces. In their effort to get free, they often get nasty abrasions that can become infected. Many also suffer from mange, a parasitic infestation that leads to all kinds of problems. Townsend pilots her VW Caddy on city streets, highways and narrow lanes that roll through lush hills, responding to calls about injured or ill foxes or cubs that have lost their mothers. She's seen a bit of everything since her first humbling call 2 1/2 years ago when the supposedly injured fox bolted. "In my inexperience, I chased after him, which is comical because you're never going to outrun a fox," she said. "I just remember he ran very fast and I looked silly running after him." Despite many challenging situations — she once managed to rescue a fox that lost its footing atop a fence and ended upside down at eye level with its paw lodged between boards — she's only been bitten once. Heartbreak with hard cases Her van carries the distinctly musky scent of foxes. The odor becomes unpleasant when an anxious passenger in a litter of cubs relieves itself enroute to being delivered to a foster care pen where they will stay until being released in the wild. "Feel free to open the window," said Townsend, who is accustomed to the stench. "This is a stinky job." On a recent day, she was dispatched to meet a heartbroken couple who found a cub with a puncture wound collapsed on their back lawn. "We thought he was asleep at first, so we went to go and have a close look because we love them," Charlotte English said. "Then he just didn't move, so we knew something was wrong." That cub had to be put to sleep, as did the adult Townsend transferred at the start of her shift. Cubs that recover are socialized in packs of five until they mature and are then released in a rural location while the adults are freed in the neighborhoods where they were found. The fox does not say 'Thank you' Given a second chance, it's not clear how well the foxes fare, because they are rarely tracked. A 2016 study in the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science found that rehabilitated foxes were more likely to behave as if they had been displaced when returned to their original territory. They were tracked wandering farther away, potentially exposing them to more traffic and greater stress. "It is a gap in the knowledge and there's an assumption that when you release them, they thrive and I think that that assumption needs to be challenged more," said Bryony Tolhurst, a University of Brighton honorary research fellow and lead author of the study. For Townsend, fox deaths are offset by the joy of seeing little ones venture into the unknown or an adult darting into a neighborhood it instantly recognizes. "Sometimes they look back and people like to romanticize that they're saying 'thank you,'" she said. "They're just making sure we're not chasing after them."
Nahar Net
16 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Brazil's Cavalhadas festival celebrates Holy Spirit
by Naharnet Newsdesk 6 hours The heartland Brazilian city of Pirenópolis is hosting its annual Cavalhadas festival, a Holy Spirit celebration where participants ride horses, wear masks and don floral headpieces. The tradition began in the 1800s with a Portuguese priest who wanted to celebrate the Holy Spirit — one of the entities of the Roman Catholic Church's trinity — and also commemorate the victory of Iberian Christian knights over the Moors. The festivities include an open-air reenactment of a battle between Christian warriors and Muslims. At the end, the defeated Moors are converted to Catholicism.
Nahar Net
18 hours ago
- Nahar Net
Brazil's Cavalhadas festival celebrates Holy Spirit
by Naharnet Newsdesk 10 June 2025, 15:03 The heartland Brazilian city of Pirenópolis is hosting its annual Cavalhadas festival, a Holy Spirit celebration where participants ride horses, wear masks and don floral headpieces. The tradition began in the 1800s with a Portuguese priest who wanted to celebrate the Holy Spirit — one of the entities of the Roman Catholic Church's trinity — and also commemorate the victory of Iberian Christian knights over the Moors. The festivities include an open-air reenactment of a battle between Christian warriors and Muslims. At the end, the defeated Moors are converted to Catholicism.
