Recently, Chanel staged its Cruise fashion show for the 2023/24 season at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, California. The collection was heavily inspired by the southern California lifestyle that Los Angeles so often embodies, including its history with skate and surf culture and, of course, the glamor of Hollywood. Virginie Viard’s inspiration was executed into a collection marked by “sunset pastels and flamboyant hues” and “the fantasy of faraway voyages and an effortless allure.” After seeing this, I was hopeful for a collection with vibrant colors that could blend the chic glam that Chanel is known for with the style and energy of a laid back California beach vacation.
While in some ways Chanel did deliver as I hoped, it was hard to tell whose vacation I was on. Some looks from the collection were what I would imagine someone’s rich aunt wearing on her long weekend “to get some sun” while others felt like they were trying to reach a Gen Z bicoastal influencer—probably the child of some eighties star who could relive her glory days in pieces from the very same collection. This is not to say that I did not find any successes within this show. In fact, there were many looks that I did appreciate, but as a collection it lacked cohesion.
When drawing inspiration from a city with a history and population as diverse and complex as Los Angeles, it is understandable that there would be a lot (too much?) to fit into seventy one final looks, and I can see the efforts that the Chanel team put into referencing a range of classic LA styles and cultural signifiers. However, perhaps focusing on one era, style, or sub-culture could have led to a more unified collection. Instead, references to 80s aerobics bodysuits, shorts, and leg warmers graced the runway alongside old-Hollywood style dresses and coats, drop waists reminiscent of the sixties, hot pink Elle Woods-meets-early-aughts-Paris Hilton matching sets, and a multitude of other symbols of SoCal.
As per usual with Chanel, the tweed was tweed-ing and I think several of the matching sets did a great job bringing a modern take to classic Chanel styles. Looks like Ajok Daing’s baby pink skirt and sweater combo paired with pink leg warmers, a fluffy pink mini purse, and matching pom-pom earrings were exciting, fun, and refreshingly young for Chanel. Some looks, like Adwoa Aboah’s burgundy set, were relaxed yet sexy and elegant, and others felt like a perfect “Malibu Barbie” dream.
While some of the looks in this collection were quintessentially Chanel, others felt like entirely different brands or demographics. There were Mattel-esque graphic pastel prints that felt much more like Jeremy Scott’s Moschino than Virginie Viard’s Chanel. While I understand wanting to highlight skate culture in a show about Los Angeles, I’m not convinced that baggy knit gym shorts belong on a Chanel runway (or a skatepark for that matter).
Though individual looks from this collection succeeded, altogether it felt scattered and left me confused. Throughout the show it was difficult to discern just what the brand was trying to achieve, and ultimately it did not feel like Chanel doing what Chanel does best. I would love to see the design team continue to push the brand’s older styles into more modern silhouettes and I think that with the upcoming release of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie (and Margot Robbie’s infamous Chanel contract), Chanel will no doubt be a red carpet favorite this year. I did not love this collection but, being no stranger to an identity crisis myself, I am hopeful for Chanel’s future and think that in due time, they will find themselves.
Words by Flora Medina.