Chanel is in Full Bloom For Fall/Winter 2023

Leaning on one of the House's historic motifs, Chanel's camellia flower was the central figure of the Fall/Winter 2023 collection. "The camellia is more than a theme, it’s an eternal code of the House,” explains Creative Director Virginie Viard. “I find it reassuring and familiar, I like its softness and its strength." 

As always, Viard utilized prints, lace patterns, and adornments on sequin jackets to lay the quintessential Chanel foundations, but the camellia was clearly the hero of the collection. Floral accoutrements were arrayed in polka dot patterns—a nice contrast to the linear nature of the brand's signature tweed looks.

However, in addition to the Maison's go-to suit sets, Viard threw in a new silhouette to break up the monotony of skirts, pants, and short shorts. “The energy of the merry-go-round of wooden horses that provides the setting for Inez & Vinoodh’s film, with actress Nana Komatsu as the heroine, gave me the idea for the Bermuda shorts suits and the asymmetries," says the designer.

Perhaps the most intriguing part was the overlap with some of the other shows happening this Paris Fashion Week. While Viard's tenure at Chanel has been marked by restrained color palettes and music-adjacent themes (punk, grunge, bohemian, etc.), the scaled-back nature of the collection matches the overtones of recent showings for Valentino and Alexander McQueen—both of which dialed back the color in favor of more black and white looks.

Viard explains, “The faded colors, the dusky pink, the crafted pieces, the touches of 1960s and '70s, a certain English vibe, the comfortable, enveloping coats, the authentic materials, make the collections more real, and more charming too.”