The model Vivienne Rohner taking a photo: this is the black and white portrait that appears on the invitation and in the decor for the CHANEL Spring-Summer 2022 Ready-to-Wear show: “Because fashion is about clothes, models and photographers,” confides Virginie Viard. “Karl Lagerfeld used to photograph the CHANEL campaigns himself. Today, I call upon photographers. I love the way that they see CHANEL. It supports and inspires me.”

The duo Inez & Vinoodh have signed the images for this collection, including five films featuring Lily-Rose Depp, Alma Jodorowsky, JENNIE, Rebecca Dayan and Quannah Chasinghorse-Potts all repeating the same gesture, a camera in hand. “It’s a magical object and a sexy gesture, which evokes so many memories. I used to love the sound of flashbulbs going off at the shows in the eighties, when the models were on a raised runway. I wanted to recapture that emotion.”

And recreate that type of runway at the Grand Palais Éphémère, a human-sized space whose atmosphere made her yearn for, “a lot of very simple bathing suits in gold or white with black trimmings. Short dresses in pink or mauve tweed, fishnet skirts, jackets embellished with multicolour crochet and denim suits. There are also a lot of prints: big, colourful butterfly wings on black chiffon.” Certain silhouettes are punctuated with a big shopper or a soft quilted bag embellished with a large chain. The flared heels and the buckles of the Mary-Janes and sandals “remind us of pirate shoes,” Virginie Viard says with amusement. “I always like to have something romantic. A touch of mystery.”

#CHANELSpringSummer