Chanel and Tribeca co-founder and CEO Jane Rosenthal hosted the 10th annual Through Her Lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program luncheon at Locanda Verde in New York, celebrating women filmmakers.
This was not your usual Chanel affair. I scanned the arrivals—Sarah Paulson, Lucy Liu, Tessa Thompson, Meghann Fahy, Kaitlyn Dever, Havana Rose, Lily Allen, Phoebe Tonkin—and immediately clocked it. Denim. So much denim. When have you ever seen a Chanel-backed event where tweeds and boucle suits didn’t dominate? Last year, the room was wall-to-wall heritage codes, right down to the two-tone pumps. This year, it felt almost rebellious in its ease.
Matteo Prandoni/BFA.com
And here’s where I start to wonder: is this Matthieu Blazy’s influence quietly seeping in already? His appointment as Chanel’s new Artistic Director of Fashion Activities has been the most talked-about industry shift of the year, and suddenly, we’re seeing a different energy at a Chanel gathering. More approachable. More youthful. More in tune with how women really dress when they aren’t standing on the steps of the Grand Palais.
Matteo Prandoni/BFA.com
I’m not saying this is a preview of his debut collection (that would be too easy), but could the door to accessibility have been cracked open a little. A signal that while Chanel will never lose its iconic status, it might start to feel a little less prescribed. Imagine a world where Chanel is less about rules and more about freedom—denim and all.
Matteo Prandoni/BFA.com
Of course, this could just as easily be a case of no spoilers. Designers who tease too much too early often pay the price. Jonathan Anderson’s Dior takeover offered glimpses during Venice Film Festival, and instead of whetting appetites, it left people nervous. In some cases, very nervous. No one wants a Chanel collection spoiled by an early preview, especially when the world will be watching come October 4th at 8pm Paris time.
Tessa Thompson stood out in a Public Laundry Fiona Apple T-shirt, with the only Chanel part of her look being a burgundy quilted bag. It was the perfect mix of her own downtown cool with just enough Chanel polish, a reminder that she knows how to bring the brand into her world rather than the other way around.
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