In Seoul, South Korea, Karl Lagerfeld invited guests to the DDP (the Dongdaemun Design Plaza) to present the Chanel 2015/16 Cruise collection. In the heart of this futurist space created by architect Zaha Hadid, the designer unveils a collection of structured, avant-gardist silhouette reinterpreting Asian sophistication with a resolutely contemporary spirit. It was an explosion of bright colours, fuchsia pink, coral and intense orange, violet, celadon and mint green, turquoise and royal blue melted into woven tweeds and textured cotton but also into lighter and diaphanous fabrics such as shantung – a type of raw silk so dear to Mademoiselle Chanel – linen, organza, tulle and lace. Ethereal and geometric patchworks as well as multi-coloured stripes combined with delicate floral and geometric marquetry-style embroideries.
Drawing inspiration from the traditional dress of the Korean peninsula, the hanbok, Karl Lagerfeld imagines jackets with large sleeves and rounded shoulders. Their collars, flat, folded or notched, disappear as if by magic revealing the neck and sketching out a new look. The trousers are cut wide and short or tightened at the hem, while skirts are pencil or straight cut just below the knee. For evening, dresses with very high waistlines are light and voluminous. The strapless dresses introduce a new nocturnal elegance and are emphasized by a broad stroke in velvet or grosgrain.
