Chanel’s Architect Threw a Hissy Fit at the House’s Zen Couture Show

The set at the Chanel couture show in Paris on Tuesday. All of the wood will be recycled. Photo: Getty Images

When it comes to its Grand Palais show sets, Chanel famously likes to transport its guests with among its most spectacular decors to date a star-studded casino, an airport and even a Chanel supermarket replete with aisles stocked with branded goodies so cute they brought out the shoplifter instincts in even the most well-behaved fashionistas. Today’s set reflected a more zen side to the house in the form of a minimalist garden dominated by a three-story Japanese-style wood-slat structure edged with shallow lily ponds. The zen mood didn’t seem to filter through to everyone, however, with a leather-clad Peter Marino throwing a hissy fit at the door upon being asked for ID. “I’m Chanel’s architect you f—ing idiot. In fact maybe I don’t even want to go to this show,” he growled, reluctantly searching through his wallet. He even had to strip off his leather fanny pack for the metal detector. While inside Gwyneth Paltrow “wasn’t doing interviews,” but she sure did look pretty in a gray and white checked skirt suit by the luxe French brand.

Ambassador Jane D. Hartley with architect Peter Marino. Photo: Getty Images

The mood calmed as Karl Lagerfeld’s favorite male model Baptiste Giabiconi stepped out onto the garden’s wood slat path clad in a gold tweed patchwork leather pants and jacket. The main house panel flipped opened and out flowed the models in serene, softly-colored long tweed ensembles in myriad fabrications, cut long and lean with rounded shoulders or flared and fluid with pants and capes with trains. The eco-minded collection even featured wood shavings embroidered into one dress. Who knew that Monsieur Lagerfeld was such an appreciator of nature? Other showstoppers included a run of after-dark black satin and tulle looks (one of which was worn by Kendall Jenner), and a black sequin gown with bouffant tulle sleeves in all-over bee embroidery.

Gwyneth Paltrow at the Chanel couture show. Photo: Getty Images

Haute Couture is all about one-off creations and here the variety was awe-inspiring, each piece a work of art with painstaking handiwork ranging from wood embroidery to twisted lame effects. “The brief for the models was to walk sensually, like a rich woman walking through her garden after a long night of love,” I overheard one insider say afterward. But there was no bed-head vibe to these flawlessly elegant dames, their locks pulled back in smooth low buns inspired by “Chanel croissants” according to hairstylist Sam McKnight. For the finale all of the houses panels flipped up to reveal a tableau of all the models, like a couture doll’s house with master Lagerfeld waving out from the door.

Kendall Jenner walks in the Chanel couture show. Photo: Getty Images

“It’s my first Chanel couture show, it’s a dream come true, I’ve wanted to do this since I was, like, 10,” said redheaded British actress of the moment Ellie Bamber. “I thought it was very Audrey Hepburn with modern twists.” The rising star, who was a vision in her lilac tweed jacket and pale pink iridescent Chanel dress, was also quick to also praise her latest projects including Pride and Prejudice and Zombies as well as Tom Ford’s new film Nocturnal Animals. “I play the daughter of the characters played by Isla Fisher and Jake Gyllenhaal,” she said of the latter before touting the auteur. “He’s such a wonderful director and he has this aesthetic vision, his way of filming is so beautiful.”

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