The Rise of the Couture Trainer

The couture shows are always guaranteed to generate their fair share of sartorial buzz and the Chanel shows are always an impressively theatrical affair; but this year was different. The spectacular show was completely different to what fashion lovers have come to expect from Karl Lagerfeld.


The Grand Palais was transformed once again, this time into an elegant, paired back space with two dazzling white sweeping stair cases. The set alone was enough of an indication that you were about to see something unexpected but I don’t think the audience was imagining models to skip down the stairs wearing… trainers.
Flat footwear has been on the rise with Celine showcasing their fluffy sandals last year; Dior sent their models down the runway in slip on trainers as did Schiaparelli. It seems clearer  than ever that Lagerfeld has an innate ability to tap into the sub-consciousness of pop culture to present a collection that is totally relevant and fashion forward without forgetting its heritage.

Karl undoubtedly garnered the most interest when it came to footwear. With his muse Cara Delevingne opening the show in bejewelled trainers and each model that followed similarly fitted out with a luxe pair of sneakers. 
‘I had a feeling the girls would love them. The way they ran down the staircase – I didn’t even ask them, they did it naturally’ explained the designer. The trainers came in blush, tweed, metallic and pastel shades with delicate laces made of chiffon; perfectly co-ordinating with the models outfits.

The show really captured a young sporting spirit with some of the models even in matching knee and elbow pads. Karl noted that ‘it gives a new modern attitude to couture, flexibility’, we couldn’t agree more but Chanel’s newfound ‘flexibility’ unfortunately doesn’t make them any more affordable.

With each pair of trainers estimated to cost around 3,000 euros you’ll still have to save up for a little while before you can add these babies to your wardrobe. Not to mention that that you can’t buy them unless you buy the entire couture look alongside them, we can only imagine how much that would set you back.
What do you think to Chanel’s new direction, are you a fan or do you prefer their more classic looks?


0 comments:

Post a Comment

 

Flickr Photostream

Twitter Updates

Meet The Author