It was a grey day in Paris as 2,540 guests filed into the Grand Palais for Chanel’s spring spectacular – and a grey sky met them inside, too. The set comprised a Parisian rooftop, complete with weathered chimneys and rusty casement windows over which models walked. Here are five things to know about the Chanel show.
A “particular view” chosen by Virginie Viard formed the backdrop to the collection
Girls picked their way across a 330m-long series of rooftops in faux zinc, studded with terracotta chimneys, rusty pipes and roof windows salvaged from flea markets across the capital. The zinc was actually linoleum, painted to look weather-beaten; the brand stated in the show notes that it will reuse elements from the set in store windows.
Denim was a key focus
Cropped jeans paired with a classic striped jacket and a chain belt; high-waisted Bermuda shorts; pleat-fronted jeans with a Broderie Anglaise-trimmed, balloon-sleeved jacket – denim came in myriad iterations, chiming with a key trend for the spring/summer 2020 season.
Tweed playsuits were a fast track to playing the coquette
Hemlines on the whole were short in this collection, and the newest tweed shape comprised a sweet little playsuit worn with tights and diamanté-trimmed heeled sandals.
Hot pants got the haute treatment
How to wear hot pants now? With thick black opaque tights, a lapis-studded chain belt and crystal-trimmed, low-heeled sandals, if Virginie Viard’s collection is anything to go by. Gigi Hadid’s were paired with a sequin-strewn midnight blue sweater on the runway, Grace Elizabeth’s with pale pink sequins and a matching bag.
Sparkling skies inspired the final looks
Prints featuring the Eiffel Tower and Paris skyline were splashed on chiffon pleated day dresses, with neat little belts cinching them at the waist. Elsewhere, “Chanel Paris” was traced in crystals on cuffs (models wore one on each wrist). But the most dazzling take on Parisian glamour came in the final few looks; Rianne van Rompaey closed the show in a twinkling evening skirt and blouse that resembled the city’s sky at night.
This story originally appeared on Vogue.com.