Chanel’s Spring/Summer 2024 haute couture show is a coquette dream where a button is as precious as a jewel and the world of ballet manifests in a collection of tulle, ruffles, pleats and lace.
A Chanel show is never without a show-stopping centrepiece. For the house’s Spring/Summer 2024 haute couture show, that honour goes to a gargantuan button, a starting point that was teased at just a few days ago with the short film “The Button”, created in collaboration with Kendrick Lamar and his multidisciplinary creative company, pgLang.
More than just a means to hold clothing together, Virginie Viard examines the button the same way that Gabrielle Chanel did – like a precious jewel, a symbol of emancipation for women who could unbutton and free themselves of what held them back. A sentiment echoed in the world of dance and ballet.
“I often think about dance, it’s an important theme at Chanel,” says artistic director Virginie Viard. Indeed, the story of Chanel is one interwoven with the world of ballet: the house has been creating ballet costumes for over a century, from Gabrielle Chanel’s time with the legendary Sergei Diaghilev, Léon Bakst and the Ballet Russes, to the present.
For the opening look, Chanel tapped house ambassador, actress and former ballerina Margaret Qualley, a continuation of a her role as the protagonist in “The Button”. Dressed in a fitted white jacket, ruffled tulle collar and a white skirt, Qualley walked the runway with a small smile, setting the tone for the dreamy and uplifting show to follow, one where tulle in artful configurations, sequinned embroidery, big bows, mini capes and full skirts that swished and swayed took centrestage. Bold silhouettes like the iconic Chanel jacket were worn over ballet leotards and tights, a juxtaposition that toes the line between feminine and masculine.
The show culminated in the reveal of the season’s Chanel bride – a vision in a white mini dress adorned with voluminous sleeves, white embroidery, three buttons and a lush tulle train that seemed to float behind model Loli Bahia as she brought the ethereal affair to a close. Brava, brava!
Watch a summary of the show below.
(Images: Chanel)
