Chanel designer Virginie Viard on Friday (May 3, 2019) showed her first solo collection in Paris at the Grand Palais, which was transformed into a
into a train platform. The backdrop wasn’t as eye-popping as prior collections, a pause from an ostentatious approach that seemed appropriate given Karl Lagerfeld’s passing less than three months ago.
Instead, Viard put a focus on the clothing, which mainly followed the Chanel formula in terms of fabrics and detailing, but revealed a bigger focus on short and pant silhouettes. In addition to Bermuda shorts and wide-legged leather shorts and pants featuring high slits, the collection included eight different looks featuring leggings.
It’s too soon to say if the shift into pants and leggings indicates a true change in direction, though creating more comfortable garments would seem an appropriate direction now that the label is led by a woman who herself has shown a predilication for pants.
