The Chanel Spring/Summer 2024 Collection Does Beach-Ready Dressing Right

Chanel is a House of heritage—a brand that heavily leans into codes that are reinterpreted every season. And while the Spring/Summer 2024 collection was certainly code-heavy, creative director Virginie Viard also switched things up on us. The presentation was inspired by the modernist villa Noailles—designed by the architect Robert Mallet-Stevens in 1923—with the collection being "an ode to liberty and to movement," as Viard states in the show notes.

She was specifically inspired by the villa's outdoor space: its terraced gardens, sunken flowerbeds, expansive swimming pool, and the way each contrasting structure harmoniously complements one another. This inspiration informed the garments in a myriad of ways.

There are the silhouettes, lightweight and supple, with the flowy high-low dresses, high-waist-smocked maxi skirts, suits with no lining, and organza babydoll dresses. Beach-ready clothing such as bathing suits and bermuda shorts invited us to spend a day at the seaside. There's an intense play on contrasting patterns, colors, and textures—all of it lending itself to a collection of "elegance and insouciance." 

"Sophistication and informality, the tweed throughout the collection, sportswear and lace: I tried to bring one thing and its opposite together in the coolest way possible. And the gardens and swimming pool of the villa Noailles, that exceptional setting, lend themselves to that rather well," Viard says in the show notes.

There are of course signature Chanel codes also present, as seen with ample use of tweed and accessorized pearls. This collection though, is much more carefree compared to seasons past, filled with ease, and is meant to be worn while enjoying the fresh air.