Chanel’s designer, Karl Lagerfeld, was inspired by Beau Brummell, the Regency dandy and friend of King George IV, who is credited with inventing the man’s suit.
This led to the creation of the Chanel “Belle Brummell”, a charming gamine in all manner of black suiting, and Little Black dresses, liberally embellished with (detachable) lace, chiffon and cameo-broached collars and beribboned cuffs, all accessorised with the flat-topped, large-crowned, boater-style hat most commonly associated with Mademoiselle Chanel. There were bodysuits, that might usefully be worn under a salopette when skiing, in haphazard pink and black harlequin designs; small pink quilted CC bags carried inside clear PVC briefcases; pink fur shrugs and sweater dresses (unfortunately given to one of the more generously-proportioned models); pink tights and pink ankle socks.
Think pink was then overwhelmed by the return of black, with snug, plunge-V LBDs with beaded skirts, mid-calf dresses, with the dandified collars and cuffs now worked in white, silk camellias, and fluttering chiffon hems; and abbreviated CC tweed-look jackets, embroidered in ribbons, metallic yarn and silk, worn with double-layer chiffon skirts in black over white.
There was a roar and a surge of paparazzi, video crews and security guards around the front row at the Chanel show. There were models rolling around in the haystacks, a Lilly Allen performance, and Prince sitting in front row.
