PARIS — Karl Lagerfeld had models wearing sneakers at the Chanel spring 2014 haute couture presentation today. The girls literally skipped down the staircase (which was part of a revolving set) to take their turns. Lindsey Wixson even pirouetted a few times while holding onto the train of her dress — she was obviously relishing in the novelty of wearing comfortable footwear.
Although we might call them sneakers, these were bespoke shoes from the prestigious house of Massaro, made from python skin and then veiled with lace, tweed, and pearls. They came in shades of pale pink, white, and black — and each pair reportedly took approximately 30 hours to make.
“They were definitely my kind of thing,” Lily Allen enthusiastically told the Cut of the shoes post-show. Although she’s a front-row regular, this was Allen’s first couture presentation. “It’s just another level, it was just unbelievable. The colors were beautiful and so was the embellishment. I wish I was a lot richer and a lot thinner!”
For the garments, the emphasis this season was on the waistline. Karl Lagerfeld designed corsets and teamed them with bolero tops, which exaggerated an hourglass silhouette. Despite being suggestive of a womanly shape, the collection was quite girlish and youthful — the skirts were flirty and sat just above the knee, and the suiting was slim and sporty. Fabrics of tweed, tulle, and organza were whipped into a sorbet-colored palette that is certainly on-trend for spring.
Of course it wouldn’t be Chanel without a bridal finale, and this season, the honor fell to Cara Delevingne, who was escorted onto the catwalk by 5-year-old Chanel veteran Hudson Kroenig (Lagerfeld’s godson) in a sparkly white suit. Delevingne’s column gown, which she wore with a feather wreath in her hair, featured elaborate embroidery; the majestic icing on top of a “supersonic collection,” to quote fellow attendee Tilda Swinton.