Paris Autumn/Winter '08

Chanel, Autumn/Winter 2008 (scroll down to read more)
Chanel
The perfect little tweed suit that Karl Lagerfeld chose to open the Chanel show was not so perfect. In fact it was seriously flawed. The elbows were threadbare, like the sleeves of a favourite cardigan only ever worn indoors. Naturally, this being Chanel,it was of course completely intentional as the outfits that followed confirmed. The trademark tweed, woven with lace and tulle, had been deliberately destroyed in parts. No, Lagerfeld did not throw them in the washing machine (a Milan trend) but instead Lesage, the embroidery house, had carefully recreated the wear and tear by undoing, by hand, the warp and the weft.

Lagerfeld's other big deal of the season was the curved flyaway hem. The tailcoat is already the news of Paris and this was his take on it. A trench coat had the storm flaps elongated right down to the hem, and dreamy dresses in shades of grey chiffon and lace (covered with the must-have of the season: ruffles made of shredded silk) got a matching waistcoat that trailed to the ankle.