PFW SS20: Chanel

Alba Avram Haziran 16, 2021

Chanel - Saving the Best 'til Last

Since Karl Lagerfeld tragically passed away earlier in the year, I have been really intrigued to see how the brands he worked on would change without him. The Fendi runway was part of Milan Fashion Week and I really liked it and liked the more casual step the brand had taken. You can see Karl's influence but the brand has stepped away just a little bit and Chanel has done the same.

Picture from Vogue

Spring/Summer 2020

As you would expect from Chanel, there was tweed, check and houndstooth patterns. The tailoring was also very strong as you would expect but that does not mean that there weren't elements of something new throughout the runway. Towards the end there were newer fabrics and different silhouettes. However, the start of the runway displayed looks that were quintessentially Chanel.

I felt this season gave me a lot to be inspired by and in fact I would say this was one of my favourite Chanel runways for a few seasons, purely because I loved so many of the looks and I felt it was a tiny bit different.

The runway basically opened with one of my all time favourite looks. Look 2 is the look below which is an outfit that I would love to wear every day. I think it is that classic french, effortless style. It is a long coat which makes up the bulk of the outfit but it looks like it could be a top and skirt. It is a tweed material all in a charcoal grey with pleating starting a the waist to create the skirt effect and it has double breasted buttons. The coat has been paired with a light grey bowler hat and a small clutch bag. I just think this look is very Blair Waldorf who I dream of emulating.

Picture from Vogue

The coats are incredibly statement this year with one of my favourite look featuring a long oversized coat which looks like it could be reversible. The outer part of the coat is a traditional black and white check Chanel print but on the inside you have a more modern update, it is still check just with a pale pink and lilac. This adds a bit of fun to the coat but also incorporates the colours of the season.

Speaking of some of the colours used this season, Chanel have also used a bit of bright red which is rather unusual. I feel like they might be a season late as red was all over last seasons runway but I love how Chanel has included red into some of the details of the outfits rather than being one colour block. If you look at the tiered dress below, you can see flecks of red all over the gorgeous dress. Not only do I love the element of red used but I also love the tiered effect that adds ruffles, another popular look this season, and I wish I could wear this dress to every single event I have.

Picture from Vogue

There were a lot of outfits that were constructed from mesh/organza towards the end of the runway and using these materials gives it a little bit of an oversized feel. It also took away from the typically highly tailored Chanel look.

Chanel seems to have taken a step towards slogan patterns which they have not been immune to before but I haven't really seen a Chanel belt before which featured on the runway quite a lot this season. In terms of accessories there were some strong hats, flowers in the hair and of course, a lot of chains.

I couldn't talk about the Chanel runway without mentioning the drama that happened. Apparently it was a Youtuber but a lady managed to get herself onto the catwalk and tried to walk the runway with the models. She was very brazen and bloody brave, in the end she came up against Gigi Hadid who basically ended up working as Security, I hope she got a bonus for that extra job role. Gigi led the lady off and by the looks of it didn't give her much option than to come with her. Go on Gigi! Gigi did wear a pair of hot pants which is something you would not expect from Chanel and they also featured in the Longchamp runway and the Tom Ford runway featured sports style mini shorts which bordered on hot pants.

Picture from Vogue

Based on This Show, What Should You Add to Your S/S Wardrobe?

Hot Pants are Back. Hot pants aren't something I would expect to see on a Chanel runway, in fact they were a regular feature of a trashy student night out when I was at University but it seems like a few brands are trying to bring them back for S/S20.

Reversible Coats. The coat I featured in this post is absolutely gorgeous. For those trying to be more eco-conscious maybe a good way to add a bit of variety to your wardrobe but not buying lots of clothes would be reversible clothes.

I Need a Good Hat. I expected to see a lot of hats during A/W and we did but I didn't expect to see as many as there have been in the Spring/Summer runway. I love the bowler hat that features throughout this runway, it has the same effect as the bucket hat but it is more structured.

T-Bar Shoes. I didn't mention it in the bulk of the blog post but you might have noticed throughout the pictures that all of the models wore the same shoes, a T-Bar design shoe. They are a kitten heel, which I hate, but I don't mind the T-Bar design and with a higher heel, I would consider adding a pair to my wardrobe.

If you want to see more of the Chanel Runway, take a look at the Vogue article: Chanel: Spring/Summer 2020

Check out some of my other Fashion Week posts: