RUNWAY

Chanel Channels the ‘90s
for Spring/Summer 2022

By The Rebag Team, Oct 6, 2021

Chanel’s Virginie Viard Loved the Sound of Flashbulbs.

The click of photographers’ flashbulbs was a common occurrence at runway shows as the ‘80s turned into the ‘90s. Back then, photographers surrounded an elevated catwalk in order to get their shots. For Chanel’s Spring/Summer 2022 show, artistic director Virginie Viard channeled the look and feel of the ‘90s.

With Chanel’s usual show space, Paris’s Grand Palais, closed for renovations, Chanel artistic director Virginie Viard had an interesting idea for the concept behind the Spring/Summer 2022 show. “I used to love the sound of flashbulbs going off at the shows in the ’80s,” she said in the Chanel show notes. “I wanted to recapture that emotion.”

That she did, with an elevated catwalk, a contemporary rendition of George Michael’s “Freedom! ’90” by French singer-songwriter Christine and the Queens, and a collection that referenced different parts of the decade.

Chunky costume jewelry featuring the brand’s interlocking CC logo and Chanel No. 5 bottles dangled from the necks of models, while handbags in the colors of pastel confections dotted the runway. Chanel No. 5 bottles and pink hearts were turned into bag silhouettes, and Chanel’s signature diamond quilting came in the form of shiny gold box-shaped bags, classic black flaps, and glammed-up bucket bags. Scroll down to see the handbags and accessories from Chanel’s Spring/Summer 2022 collection.