The house embarks on a new journey under the leadership of Virginie Viard, after the passing of Chanel's long-time artistic director Karl Lagerfeld.
Designer Virginie Viard is no stranger to walking the runway at the end of a Chanel show—she did so earlier this year at the haute couture show in Paris—but this is the first time she punctuates it after presenting a collection she solely designed.
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That alone makes the Chanel cruise 2019/2020 runway show one for the books. Not only is it Viard’s debut as the artistic director but also the first collection since the passing of the Karl Lagerfeld, who headed the house for over 30 years with Viard as his "right and left hand". There was a feeling of reverence at the Grand Palais—and Viard was understandably emotional as she walked down to applause and a standing ovation—but a quick look at the collection and one can already feel the winds of change.