Sawt Falasteen - Chanel pays tribute to Coco's seaside beginnings

The show began with a short ad starring Brad Pitt and Penelope Cruz -- a tribute to classic 1960s French film "A Man and a Woman" -- set in the northern seaside town of Deauville.

On the catwalk, the star of the show was undoubtedly the huge-brimmed beach hats -- a nod to Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel's first ever boutique, opened in Deauville in 1912, where she sold hats and relaxed jersey outfits for stylish beach-goers.

Her story has gained greater attention in recent weeks thanks to Apple TV's series "The New Look", exploring her complex dealings with the Nazis during World War II.

The new collection had a palette of bright pastel tones across a range designed for winter walks on the beach, including pea coats, tweed suits, 1920s-style pant suits and turtlenecks.

Creative director Virginie Viard, who took over from Karl Lagerfeld when he died in 2019, has occasionally faced criticism for a lack of daring.

But that has "the merit of not losing people along the way," said actress and model Arielle Dombasle, a regular muse for Lagerfeld, speaking on the sidelines of the show.

"It's not gratuitously spectacular, it's graceful and always successful," she told AFP.

The ninth and final day of Paris Fashion Week's women's ready-to-wear shows also include big names such as Miu Miu, Lacoste and Louis Vuitton, as well as a surprise last-minute inclusion of a menswear show by Saint Laurent to close the week.

Z.AlNajjar--SF-PST