Taking it to the literal streets of Paris, Virginie Viard’s Chanel fall/winter 2021 show brought a scintilla of rebellion to the runway, complete with irreverent luxe basics and fuzzy, calf-high moon boots
“Do you know where you’re going to? Do you like the things that life is showin’ you?” The smooth strains of Diana Ross’ 1994 classic (from the film Mahogany) opened the Chanel fall-winter 2021 show, presented in a fashion film by Dutch photographer duo Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, set a nostalgic tone for the French maison. Pre-pandemic, there would be nothing out of the ordinary seeing a cadre of models strutting down a Parisian street and heading to a club, but in these uncertain times, it seems to be a dream that very few would risk.
Nevertheless, Virginie Viard, fearless female that she is, decided to stage her show right on the streets of Paris and, of course, the ultra-chic Castel, the legendary nightlife institution frequented by celebrities the world over. Perhaps taking that hint of rebellion into her collection, Viard presented a rather utilitarian-inflected collection of boilersuits, bold skirt suits (lengths trailing off at a modest midi), and, the key style of the season, a structured coat that ends beautifully mid-calf, all in Chanel’s signature tweed.
