Chanel Spring 2009 Couture

Beautiful braided trim, paper floral decoration, and look at the square shoulders throughout.



Pleated sheer sleeve godets.



Nice proportions with a cap-sleeve jacket.



Lots of horizontals and a nice matelasse.


A lovely spring costume.



Amazingly intricate fabric. It looks like it's constructed with ribbons, trims and embroidery.



Sequins and feathers.



Wonderful stripe manipulation, and the stripes are formed with bugle beads.



Glass-paper embroidery.



Very interesting cut and I love the pockets, below.




A very interesting skirt, but I'm not sure how flattering it is.

Chanel Couture Fall 2008

Cartridge pleat treatment controlling the waist. Tiny fringe at the hems.



Lovely oversized coat, and shoulder emphasis without huge shoulders.



Same cartridge pleats, but this time at the hem also.



Zippers and chinchilla are quite the pairing. A nice coat/dress combination.



I can't say I care for the effect produced by cartridge pleating on the shoulder and sleeve, but it is interesting.



The Military influence continues.



This charmingly applied pattern is just like a wrought-iron fence.



A lovely coat.



A very casual, active-wear cut, and smocking at the waist. The rolled hem is a wonderful detail. This is so cute in a wool bouclé and would be very wearable for anyone. Detail shot of the seaming and smocking below.




Getting a little wild now with the hem, but the tunic would make a great dress.



Interesting.



The sleeves do look very cute.



Sophisticated yet demure in gray, and what a sweet and very unexpected hood.




A different kind of volume with applied petals as ruffles.



Lots of this tubular stuff which I think is really fun!



A wonderful look with flattened chevron smocking at the center waist. Detail below.




Very 1930's Hollywood Glamour shoulders, and very nice.



A simple silhouette, and so wearable in any length or fabrication.



A beautiful raised neckline with flattened smocking controlling the bodice and opening into the skirt fullness.


I love the bodice's applied design that creates a new fabric. See the detail below.

Chanel Spring 2008 Couture

Or, as someone said, Baby Chanel.

Honestly, it's a very youthful collection, not always in a good way. Flat shoes throughout with consciously awkward stances. I don't know that it serves the clothes well, but it does make an apparent point about who the preferred Chanel customer will be. I would think it might be a little disappointing for all the house's loyal customers to realize that none of the garments being shown were designed for them and their lives. Certainly with changes, they'll be perfectly wonderful, but it's a bit hard being second choice, for anyone.

Here are the more adult choices, in my opinon, anyway.


Gray is still in, with a minimalist trim level.



Cute pockets and interesting under-arm seaming.



I like this dress/jacket look, and I like the collar.



Looped-up pleats, and I guess fringed trim is not dead yet.



Another cute pleated bubble skirt. I think this could be pretty in a longer, more wearable length in a very soft fabric.



You can always rely on seeing a nice dropped-waist look at Chanel.



I like the neckline, and the draping on the skirt, if not the length.



So feminine, and what a beautiful line. Look at the wonderful fabrication below.




Very nice '60's ring collar and great sleeves.



Somehow, not the most flattering look in the show.



Kind of an appealing jacket silhouette, but how much better without the chopped-off skirt. The sleeves would be very tricky to wear with all that width, but the curves are pretty.



A beautifully constructed gown with a graceful skirt and not so aggressively flat shoe.



The ruffles under the sleeves remind me forcefully of the sea-creature suits of a few years ago.