Ballet-core and coquette aesthetic go hand-in-hand for Virginie Viard’s new collection for Chanel Spring/Summer 2024 Haute Couture
Couture week begins, and what epitomizes the sleek and structured beauty of fashion design than that of the classic House of Chanel? Creative Director Virginie unveiled a mesmerizing Spring/Summer 2024 couture collection, infusing it with the ballet grace and coquette aesthetic allure. Titled The Button, the show occurred at the Grand Palais in Paris, where actress, Chanel ambassador, and former ballet dancer Margaret Qualley opened the presentation beneath a giant hanging button.
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Viard’s couture journey continues where even a simple button carries profound stories. She channels the emotional resonance of Chanel, using it as a wellspring for inspiration, collection after collection. Her mission remains steadfast: to find new and compelling ways to tell the most beautiful stories of the iconic house. This connection to the arts shapes the fabric—or button—of the collection, making the embellishments a celebration of the rich records that define Chanel’s artistry.
Buttons were more than their utilitarian nature; they embodied a spirited dance, a freeing waltz that released women from the shackles of strict fastenings and the rigidness of prolonged dressing rituals. Hours long of tightened, pulled, suffocated—these were the stances women took to attain even the most standard beauty they must hold, often with little to no praise. Thus, we entered the button: an innovation that became a fundamental partner for the house. For Gabrielle Chanel, beauty is not pain nor should it be.
The collection was infused with an ethereal theme of weightlessness: a hallmark skill uniquely honed by Chanel. It was a collection that portrayed the balletic lightness and sartorial vision that came from the inspiration. This dance-inspired vision unfolds through the meticulous crafting of extended-sleeve bodices, foamy tulle skirts, and the layering of sheer fabrics over white ballet tights—undeniably the main components orchestrating this couture collection.
Floral appliques adorned the bra, poised above a sleek black tight long-sleeve top harmonized with the most vibrant, pastel-pink tulle skirt imaginable. The traditional tweed jacket, now transformed with romantic tulle sleeves, introduces a contemporariness that hints at a future emblematic of Chanel under Viard’s direction. Open capes, fastened at the neckline, delicately expose more skin—an evolution characteristic of the Viard era.
A gentle, soft gray blazer dress, fastened from neck to upper thigh, exudes an airiness beneath its tulle construction, inviting thoughts of comfort akin to bedtime wear. The final ensemble unfolds as a Chanel bride, adorned in a gown exquisitely structured with white floral-embroidered brocade-like details at the front. The soft and flowing accents dance around her, while the sheer elements emanate the sensuality emblematic of the new Chanel woman.
Virginie Viard unraveled the stories within, demonstrating that even a missing button could symbolize the beauty within the imperfections of time. Chanel’s Spring/Summer 2024 Haute Couture collection encapsulates the coquette aesthetic on top of the gentle grace of ballet, celebrating the finesse of bodies and clothes in an ethereal dance of tulle, ruffles, pleats, and lace, pirouetted with the liberation of women’s fashion: through the use of a button.
Photos and Featured Image: CHANEL (via website)
