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Paris Haute Couture Week 2024: Chanel stunned in its first show without a creative director, while Giorgio Armani presented Armani Privé’s autumn/winter collection just before turning 90

Model Vittoria Ceretti opened the Chanel autumn/winter 2024-25 haute couture show in a voluminous black cape paired with a white bodysuit. Photo: Reuters
Model Vittoria Ceretti opened the Chanel autumn/winter 2024-25 haute couture show in a voluminous black cape paired with a white bodysuit. Photo: Reuters

  • After the departure of creative director Virginie Viard, Chanel leaned on its DNA and theatrical strengths, with Vittoria Ceretti opening the show, and Sadie Sink and Keira Knightley sitting front row
  • Armani Privé showcased an elegant collection focusing on pearls, which the designer hopes convey ‘serenity’ and ‘calm’; famous fans such as Cate Blanchett and Fala Chen were seen at the show

Paris Haute Couture Week kicked off in the French capital with plenty of sparkle thanks to Dior and Schiaparelli – and the excitement only continued during Chanel and Armani Privé’s presentations during day two.

Chanel

A look from the Chanel autumn/winter 2024 haute couture collection photographed by Karim Sadli at the Palais Garnier in Paris. Photo: Handout
A look from the Chanel autumn/winter 2024 haute couture collection photographed by Karim Sadli at the Palais Garnier in Paris. Photo: Handout
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Guests at the Chanel autumn/winter 2024 haute couture show were all looking for signs of what’s to come at the storied Parisian label after it parted ways with creative director Virginie Viard earlier this month.

US actress Sadie Sink at the Chanel autumn/winter 2024 haute couture show in Paris. Photo: AFP
US actress Sadie Sink at the Chanel autumn/winter 2024 haute couture show in Paris. Photo: AFP
However, the collection – presented by the maison’s “fashion creation studio” – revealed very few clues as to what will happen once a new successor is named. The first show envisioned without a creative director in the history of the house unsurprisingly stayed true to the quintessential DNA of the brand while also offering a bit of theatrical flair.
Model Vittoria Ceretti opened the show in a voluminous black cape paired with a white bodysuit. Photo: AFP
Model Vittoria Ceretti opened the show in a voluminous black cape paired with a white bodysuit. Photo: AFP

Attended by house ambassadors such as Keira Knightley and Sadie Sink, the event took place inside Paris’ opera house, Palais Garnier. The locale embodies the same values of Chanel’s haute couture: “beauty, patience and excellence”, as the brand put it in an Instagram post teasing the unveiling. (Chanel is also a major patron of the Paris opera and sponsors its yearly opening gala.)

A tweed look at the Chanel autumn/winter 2024 haute couture show shown at the Palais Garnier in Paris. Photo: AFP
A tweed look at the Chanel autumn/winter 2024 haute couture show shown at the Palais Garnier in Paris. Photo: AFP
The first look, a voluminous black taffeta cape paired with a white bustier and worn by model Vittoria Ceretti, defined the entire collection. With its dramatic silhouette, it made for a grand entrance and was a clear homage to the world of theatre and opera.
A bow-embellished outfit at the Chanel autumn/winter 2024 haute couture show. Photo: Handout
A bow-embellished outfit at the Chanel autumn/winter 2024 haute couture show. Photo: Handout