Five Trends From Chanel’s Cruise Show That You Can Start Wearing Now

For Cruise 2021/22, Chanel upped sticks from Paris, travelling south to Carrières de Lumières, a former quarry in Les Baux-de-Provence, for what might be the closing chapter of its virtual show book. Virginie Viard was inspired by 1960's Testament of Orpheus, a Jean Cocteau film where, in one particular scene, a man with a black horse's head descends into the white surroundings of Carrières de Lumières. This contrast in colour was her starting point. 'The simplicity, the precision and the poetry of Cocteau's film made me want to create a very clean collection, with a very distinct two-tone, made up of bright white and deep black,' said Viard.

The New Trouser Suit In Town

As offices start to reopen their revolving doors, the trouser suit is set to regain its status as the ultimate work uniform. But according to Chanel, there's a new silhouette in town, and what it involves is rebalancing act of sorts. Your tuxedo blazer should be on the shrunken side, while your trousers should be both high-waisted and wide-legged. If we could borrow this exact version, that would be grand.

Fishnets Are Back

Dr Jill Biden was raked over the coals by conservatives for her fishnet tights (which weren't, in fact, fishnets at all, just patterned tights), but if she was looking for a fashion backer, she should have got in touch with Virigine Viard. Almost every single model wore a pair of either black or white (white!) fishnets with their cropped tailoring and feathered party dresses, giving each outfit a kind of '80s vibe that worked well with the giant chain-link earrings and metallic Mary-Janes. 'Echoing the extreme modernity of Cocteau's film, I wanted something quite rock,' said Viard.

Dig Out Your Hair Accessories

Remember how fascinators used to be a one-way ticket to naff town on the summer wedding circuit? Well according to Viard, they're officially back in business. As well as anointing several of the models with pearl hair slides, she also gave them feathered clips that looked very much like a non-naff version of that organza flower you had to wear as a teenage bridesmaid. She also presented a re-spin of the prom queen corsage, but this time moved it from the wrist to the fingers as a delicate petal ring.

Welcome Back The Tube Top

We've been predicting this for a while - Kendall Jenner has already been spotted wearing a knitted version from Paloma Wool - but Chanel has just cemented the fact that the tube top will be back on form before you can say, 'Carrie Bradshaw'. She wore hers with cargo pants and giant pendant necklaces, while Viard showed them, instead, with prim pencil skirt and lashing of pearls.

And Finally, The Kaftan Dress

And finally, and most definitely in contrast in terms of body coverage, the kaftan dress also made a floor-sweeping appearance, providing a long and languid benchmark for every post-cocktail beach outfit from here to Nice.