Ahhh, to be one of Virginie Viard’s Chanel girls, wrapped in chunky tweed and furry boots, kohl-rimmed eyes and glossy hair.
At the brand’s Fall 2021 runway show Paris, we were transported to an underground Parisian nightclub where smoke-show eyes, velvet skin, and shiny, laissez-faire hair was the look du jour.
Like the rest of fashion week, the show was held almost exclusively online, but it still felt quintessentially Parisian. Soft, smudgy kohl was used on the upper and lower lash lines with no real rhyme or reason. Think of the way liner looks after a night of dancing, when the warmth of the skin sees it move slightly out of place.
Skin was clean, natural and matte – the signature Chanel complexion. Lips were bare, almost as if a little foundation had been used to take away the rosiness. And it looked as if cheeks had been slightly sculpted. Overall it was grungy but elevated party makeup cool.
Hair was, as is the case this season, very low key and in line each model’s natural texture. The common denominator was a glassy, impossibly healthy shine – rich girl hair (and enviable at that).
The show itself felt like girlfriends getting ready for a night out, doing each other’s makeup, primping and preening before heading out to go dancing. Of course, this is a post-pandemic pipe dream for most, but if there’s one thing a Chanel show can do, it’s allow us to dream.
