Following the fashion chronology of seasons--the Cruise Collection sandwiched intentionally between Winter and Spring, represents a collection reflective of escaping to a tropical vacation--to ease the pain of withstanding the grueling cold weather.
Perhaps like New Yorkers, this year Mr Lagerfeld has also endured some relentlessly recurring cold weather--way into the month of May--(a sign that climate change is upon us whether we choose to acknowledge or not). The Chanel Designer seems to remedy his thoughts on this possibility, by creating some major elegance and glamour into the Chanel Cruise 2012 Collection.
The story line is something like a Katherine Hepburn coming home from a night of gala dancing and then returning to the mansion with some friends for an outdoor after-party by the opulent pool--rather than a trip to a tropical paradise. (Actually there is in fact a supplemental short film--if we can call it that, featured on here ([featured right and bottom right]--more on the second Karl Lagerfeld film, The Tale of a Fairy below.)
As per Lagerfeld's usual, the color palette doesn't stray too far away from the neutral shades of black, whites, and creams. Although he begins his never-less-than-extravagant-runway-show--back-dropped on the French Riviera, parallel to the Cannes Film Festival--with some muted yellows, while also injecting some dark reds, and textiles with couture work interwoven into the pieces of course.
Most of the looks for the Chanel's Cruise this year are thick in texture--some with almost wool like quality, which can easily be worn on a brisk autumn outing. And there are few and far between swimsuit pieces within the collection. There's only about a handful of black and white one piece bathing-suits infused in the line and about zero cruise-wear. Don't get us wrong: the design is meticulously debonair and 40's chic--there's some beautiful suits, gowns, and extravagant cocktail party looks through out the mix--but aesthetic speaking, it simply doesn't echo a cruise feel.
As far as the shorts, The Tale of a Fairy goes--couture film it is not--as we've mentioned before in Lagerfeld's first try at film-making: putting models and friends with no acting abilities into a movie scenario may not be the best idea the fashion genius has ever had. But don't take our word for it.
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