I have to be honest, this article has taken me much longer then I ever anticipated to write. Each time I would sit down at my laptop, I would have trouble finding just the right words to express what a special and spectacular experience it was to view the CHANEL Haute Couture Automne-Hiver 2015/16 collection while in New York for Fashion Week. I’m going to preemptively apologize for the gushing that will ensue, but please believe it is all genuine.
I was warmly greeted at the New York offices of this venerable house and whisked up to the showroom, high above the bustle of New York’s legendary 5th Avenue. The Cercle Privé collection was presented in an intimate and elegant environment, created in a smaller image of the original luxurious casino setting the show was set in Paris. I first fell in love with the collection from the images captured at the show but it was by seeing the pieces in person that I truly developed an appreciation for the artistry that is Haute Couture. Each of these garments represents hundreds of hours of painstaking work, talent, creativity, and ingenuity. Crafted in only the most select ateliers of Paris and with the finest materials, pieces that meet the legal designation of Haute Couture represent only the most rarefied segment of fashion and design.
It would be hard to choose a favorite piece, yet I will say that I was totally and utterly astounded by the 21st century high-tech take on the classic CHANEL suit. These pieces were created utilizing state of the art technology and finished with astoundingly intricate beading. 3D printing technology was married with traditional métier d’art techniques and finishings. The Cercle Privé collection represents all that is special and magical about the house of CHANEL. It celebrates both its heritage and modernity, the feminine and the masculine, and is just downright luxurious.
You can also check out my re-cap of the runway presentation during the Parisian Haute Couture shows here.
