High in the Sky

Lucky guests of the Chanel Spring 2012 Haute Couture Show were treated to an out-of-this-world experience. Guests entered an oversized "space shuttle" and watched models walk down as the shuttle simulated a trip into space. Think of it as a Space Mountain for the couture set.

Everything seemed to be blue. A million shades of blue. Or at least one hundred fifty shades, as Tim Blanks states. From the palest of sky blues to icy Atlantic shades, the azure spectrum was presented in full in Paris. Though slightly futuristic in cut, I personally feel that the collection is much more current than the space shuttle setting might infer. The subtle shades and moderate simplicity, combined with an innovative use of fabrics -or rather, materials substituted for fabrics- actually brings up the world's current state.

Here we are, the last frontier before us, the possibilities of our endeavors more numerous than the stars. What will we do with the ability to expand our horizons but perhaps not the resources to practically do so? We must be innovative, as Lagerfeld was here, substituting cellophane and other non-fabrics as if they were fine silks. And he does so flawlessly. The age of innovation is here. You must be ingenious and thoughtful if you wish to truly get ahead. 

This, my friends, is the reality of our very near future.

Of course, there can only be so much practicality in a couture show. The later half of the show was strewn with glitter and sparkle, almost like the twinkling stars in the dazzling night sky. Still keeping with the blue theme, these party-ready dresses were my favorites in the show and I hope to see the likes of Elle Fanning and Diane Kruger out and about in these numbers.

As always, Lagerfeld kept with the Chanel staples of boy-meets-girl silhouettes with boxy, drop-waist dresses, and a casual strut. A personal favorite was the French cuffs in exit 11. Also noted: the stiff necklines vaguely reminded me of Zenon (as in, girl of the twenty-first century, particularly in this stunning get up)

And, of course, what is a couture show without a few red carpet-ready gowns? This show offered a brilliant array of options for Oscar-bound starlets, though my word of warning is that couture dresses are especially hard to pull off without any alterations. Take a cue from Julianne Moore, who flawlessly altered her Chanel Fall 2011 Haute Couture gown to make it more practical for an off-the-runway setting. Luckily, these gowns actually require few alterations if worn by the right girl, so we can only hope that the right girl does indeed wear one of these dresses.

Mister Lagerfeld, as always, you have a reason to smile. Now please, give Bill Gaytten some notes on how to successfully execute a couture show.

(images from style.com)