Chanel has released a lookbook in advance of its cruise 2016 presentation in Havana, which will include models Binx Walton, Soo Joo Park and Mica Arganaraz. Cuba makes sense as a backdrop for Chanel’s resort show, not just because of the climate, but also the attachment of both to the flair and glamour of the ’50s and ’60s. For Chanel, much of its modern-day DNA was laid down in those two decades, a period of resurgence for the label that included the birth of the Chanel 2.55 quilted bag.
The Cuban revolution in the late ’50s, had the effect of freezing the chic, global city of Havana in time, as symbolized by the vintage cars that still roam the streets of the city today. And yes, the collection for resort both honors the style (we imagine) of Havana past and present as realized through the lens of one Karl Lagerfeld, creating something on an infinite mirror effect given the shared history of the label and the location. Somehow given the rumors that Lagerfeld is ready to hang up his crown, it somehow feels all the more poignant and tragic.
