Photo: Courtesy of Chanel
CHANEL-Haute-Couture-SS24-1
The Virginie Viard era at Chanel is one that is effortless and modern, but always with a nod to tradition and history. This haute couture season was no different, as the creative director combined the significance of 'The Button' to one of Gabrielle Chanel's interests: dance.
Written and directed by Dave Free to the music of Kendrick Lamar, The Button is a short film produced by pgLang as a prelude to Chanel's Spring/Summer 2024 Haute Couture collection. It follows Chanel muse, Margaret Qualley as she goes on a journey in search of a missing button from her beloved Chanel jacket. She crosses path with Naomi Campbell and Anna Mouglalis on her way to and at the iconic 31 Rue Cambon. A giant scissors and spool appear in the alleyway beneath, followed by a giant button with interlocking Cs hovering in the sky. Now, here's where things got whimsical and we got hooked...
Related Article: BAZAAR Exclusive: Backstage At Chanel’s Spring/Summer 2024 Show
Look 1
In sauntered American actress and model, Margret Qualley beneath said giant button in a white tweed jacket. Note that there's still a button missing from her right cuff—great continuity. With a pierrot ruff collar around her neck, and pearlised white tights (a running thread throughout the collection) layered under her double-layered skirt, the trained ballerina did her walk with a playful twinkle in her eyes. A little goofy and full of character and poise, Chanel nailed it with the leading lady for this narrative, we'd say.
Look 15
Photo: Courtesy of Chanel
CHANEL Haute Couture SS24 15
Ah, I just want to see this up close and run my fingers through what seems like tulle embroidered on a silk organza jacket, complete with feathered tulle around the stand collar and cuffs. Again paired with a sheer skirt, it lends a light-hearted and childlike touch to the look: something reminiscent of a rainbow coloured fairy floss.
Look 16
Photo: Courtesy of Chanel
CHANEL-Haute-Couture-SS24-3
What drew me to this look was the fog-like tulle so gently wrapped around the model's neck; what exactly was it? It created an air of mystery and lightness around her, as her hand peeked through an see-through pocket. Was it really there, or was it an illusion?
Related Article: The Chanel Cruise 2023/24 Collection Takes You Into A Sunshine State Of Mind
Look 18
Photo: Courtesy of Chanel
CHANEL Haute Couture SS24 - 4
Ultra-feminine and timeless, this A-line coat is anchored by the collection's protagonist: the button, or eight of them to be exact. It was worn as a top with its skirt pouf-ed up by the white tutu skirt underneath: something that was also seen throughout the collection. With the model's hair half up in a giant ribbon, this feels like a look every girl, young or old, will appreciate—a ladylike silhoutte in classic black for longevity and versatility, and of course, that dreamy tutu.
Look 35
Photo: Courtesy of Chanel
CHANEL-Haute-Couture-SS24-6
Yes, I realise that this is basically the same look as above, but in a different fabrication. It was a tough call between the two, and I eventually decided they both deserve a shoutout. Each with its own unique beauty, this coat is definitely a statement piece, with brightly hued embroidered blooms giving its silhouette more prominence.
Look 36
With an ankle-grazing hemline and a subtler tulle pouf, this look feels a little more grown-up. Like a ballerina who's danced since she was a little girl, and has grown into her own woman: knowing what she likes, and what she doesn't, yet maintaining a sense of sophistication, poise, and a tinge of innocence. Panels of delicate black lace infused with shimmery blue floral motifs cover only the front and back, allowing the white tulle skirt to flutter with every step; a look as effortless as it is elegant.
Look 43
A rather different silhouette to the majority in this collection is this streamlined pale yellow dress. Contemporary with a refined air of sensuality, it features a toga-like element, where one sleeve sits nicely on the shoulder, while the other is designed to rest just in the middle of the upper arm, revealing just enough skin and the ever so desirable décolleté. Sheer elements at the waist and sleeve are embroidered with rows of silk ribbon accented with shimmer. The perfect balance of grace and sophistication: who do you think will wear this during awards season?
Related Article: Met Gala 2023: BLACKPINK’s Jennie Made Her Debut In Vintage Chanel
Look 48
Photo: Courtesy of Chanel
CHANEL-Haute-Couture-SS24-48
Like a prom dress that teenage girls of the fifties would gush over, this off-shoulder ballgown is a true classic. Accented with pleated ruffles at the top with a velvet bodice, and a voluminous skirt covered in supersized polka dots, this look is fun and flirty in all the right ways. Not forgetting the sheer amount of tulle that cascades from the waist and strategically ends at the ankles.
Look 54
Photo: Courtesy of Chanel
CHANEL-Haute-Couture-SS24-9
There's something about drop-waist silhouttes that is so refined yet bold. With a snug fit on the top, it elongates one's torso while giving it a slimming effect as it slowly fans out around the hip. In this instance, the drama happens below the hip where woven silk chiffon ribbons in an array of pastel shades dance in the wind like that of paper tinsels at a party, gently supported by a cloud of tulle beneath. What a joy!
Look 56
Photo: Courtesy of Chanel
CHANEL Haute Couture SS24 10
To quote Eva Chen, "Somebody get married in this!" This season's Chanel bride takes on an ultra mini dress made up of a myriad delicate and dreamy materials, and features frothy sleeves and a dramatic capelet train behind her.