#PFW

Chanel's Rainbow Bright

Karl Lagerfeld's spring 2014 collection for Chanel, which showed in Paris on Tuesday, was his most exuberant in years.

Karl Lagerfeld is the busiest man in fashion but he still found time to create more than 70 artworks for this morning’s Chanel Spring 2014 show. To set the scene, he’d converted the Grand Palais into a gallery space and covered the walls with paintings and various installations — as varied as a giant Chanel No. 5 Robot and an artwork with the tongue-in-cheek title ‘Golden Shower’ that had the signature Chanel leather chain-links hanging inside a perspex box. When it comes to Lagerfeld, one never knows what to expect.

Fashion-wise, this felt like the designer’s most exuberant offering in recent memory: the signature tweed in hot pink, midriff tops, slouchy leather pants, pearl necklaces shaped like headphones, logo covered backpacks, and a painterly print featuring every possible colour on the colour wheel. The final dresses, which were fashioned in this print, were a particular standout and were pieced together using fabric strips, lace, ruffles, and pleating.

An immense collection, there was something here for all Chanel fans: from the loyal Parisian clientele who attend the show wearing Chanel suits and double-C logo scarves, to Lagerfeld’s celebrity entourage which today included the likes of Vanessa Paradis, Rita Ora, and Katy Perry. For once, Perry -- who was sporting her natural hair color and a demure black and white dress -- looked like a wallflower compared with what was shown on the runway.

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Alice Cavanagh

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