Karl Lagerfeld's domination of the fashion spectacle continued this season with his creation of a life-sized Parisian street featuring seven-storey buildings complete with sidewalks, cement road, potholes and even puddles. The production scale and detail of this show was, as usual, magnificent. But so too were the clothes. Lagerfeld started fast and furiously: sending out a non-stop parade of women along his Avenue Chanel (located in the arrondissement of the brand's favourite number 5). There was enough high-end fashion here to dress all of Paris, at least the poshest, richest half. Lagerfeld delivered wonderfully coloured tweed in trench coats, mini dresses and plenty of pant suits, while cutting suede pants and matching drape-back shirts in safari khaki tones. There were beautiful white cotton lace tops worn with navy pin stripe shorts and cool new flats, most notably a black loafer-sandal hybrid with the round gold toes that are a signature on Chanel's ballerina flats. Taking it all in was practically impossible. The rowdiness came to a climax with a pack of protesting models, screaming and strutting while thrusting huge posters and signs above their head, led by model Cara Delevingne and a pack of voracious paparazzi. It was such a wonderful burst of energy on a Tuesday morning that the show had even the most Jaded of editors tapping their toes and clapping along to the fashion march.
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JJ Martin
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