Chanel Fall‑Winter 2018/19 collection by Karl Lagerfeld, ‘High Profile’ silhouette redefined the look for Vittoria Ceretti, as she opened the 2018/19 Fall‑Winter Haute Couture show walking along a decor of the Seine quayside, a tribute to literary Paris, in a zipped silhouette.
Karl Lagerfeld came up with skirts and long dresses in tweed, velvet and chiffon with zippered slits, revealing the leg in elegant profile. Each of these looks opens on the side to reveal a matching mini-skirt, with tweed or sequined braiding extending the line.
The colors of Paris, the city of arts and letters, were reflected in the choice of hues used by lagerfeld, from the almond green of the roofs of historical buildings and silvery reflections on the Seine at night. The mauve tinge of a sky at dawn and the gray of zinc roofs are found in the suits.
Zippers are a statement feature of the Fall‑Winter 2018/19 Haute Couture collection, slashing through the silhouettes and transforming the look of tweed suits and evening gowns. Embroidered with braid, they run down jacket sleeves to reveal extra-long fingerless gloves and contrasting linings in silk or brocade. Dresses are made to the same design, with slits up the side revealing embroidered mini-skirts underneath.
Karl Lagerfeld designed a series of neckline variations, as high collars reminiscent of the ceremonial dress worn by the Institute of France’s academicians; and Victorian lace collars paired with puff sleeves, echoing the fashions worn by Parisian women. Tab collars, jabots, and bow collars structure the silhouette, while wide, feather‑embroidered collars falling over the shoulders create a softer line. Velvet headpieces by Maison Michel coordinated the looks, embellished with plumes by the workshops at Lemarié.
Embroidered with green and gold olive branches on black wool, the celebrated uniform donned by members of the Académie française served as an inspiration for the show’s closing look. Its embellishments, the attributes of a learned institution for men and women, disperse softly over the pale green tweed of a redingote-style jacket. Combined with the straight, sober lines of a bridal gown of almost geometric elegance, they strike a subtle balance between sophistication, the richness of materials and purity of form.
In imagining a bride in white who might also wear a green attire, Karl Lagerfeld offers a modern take on the uniform worn by the “immortals” — members of a learned society that included the late Simone Veil, who wore an outfit designed by Karl Lagerfeld at her own official induction into the circle.
