Chanel Autumn/Winter 2011 Haute Couture

I’m a terrible person. If this blog was a tamagotchi, it would have starved to death by now. However, final year exams, final year exam results, final year exam result celebrations AND graduation are definitely valid reasons to have neglected one’s blog, right? Wrong, probably but c’est la vie and such is life. On a purely self centred level [perhaps my favourite level], this is one of the better times to have returned to the fashion blogosphere, as of course the Autumn/Winter 2011 couture collections have just finished at Paris Fashion Week. As I step out, blinking the innocent eyes of the newborn graduate, taking my first tentative steps into the ‘real’ world, the sharp tailoring and witty detailing of this year’s shows have been a ready source of inspiration for future office-friendly outfits.

For once, Chanel received a couple of rather lacklustre reviews with some reporters and bloggers variously describing the collection as ‘sad’ ‘gloomy’ and ‘underwhelming’. However, I loved the show. I thought the return to classic, durable pieces such as the tweed suit, full-length dress and the midi skirt teamed with over-the-knee and knee-high boots is exactly what is needed in the current fashion [and indeed financial] climate. ‘It’s androgyny versus femininity,’ said Lagerfeld the night before the show. ‘One is an exaggerated feminine shape. The other is more boyish…..but not at all butch, mind.’ Noted, must keep that in mind, thanks Kaiser.

Whilst the mood was, admittedly, more sombre than Lagerfeld’s usual exuberant shows, the setting in the middle of the Grand Palais was absolutely stunning. Built as a replica of Place Vendome, where Chanel had an apartment, the show started at 10pm [so as to be flooded in moonlight] and was completed with a massive obelisk topped with a chrome statue of Coco herself, in one of her signature suits.

Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman described the collection as ‘very Mary Poppins-like – an extravagant governess, it was strict’, citing the prim hemlines and layered evening wear. The classic Chanel skirt-suit was given a modern twist with nipped in waisted jackets and a distinct stiff peplum, contrasting with a strong, bold shoulder. Colours included black, navy, white, grey and an intense magenta. My favourite detail was the little boater hats each of the models wore at the back of the head, redolent of punting and afternoon tea. Therein, perhaps, lies the problem some fashion reporters had with the collection; it was just so overwhelmingly English, but English in the best sense, old-fashioned English; lawn tennis, strawberries and lazy summer afternoons, as opposed to bulldogs and casual racism. The demure and elegant appearance of long sleeves and hemlines (the midi was firmly ensconced in the collection, so it’s clearly not going anywhere for A/W) continues the lady-like trend of this year’s spring/summer collections, with the fishtail detailing on skirts and dresses adding a playful touch to an otherwise sophisticated collection.

What do you think of Chanel’s Autumn Winter couture for 2011-12?