Chanel has a deep love for Miami. From beautiful beaches to art deco-inspired architecture and the newly revamped Design District, there are many reasons why the French fashion house chose to display its replica cruise ship in the Magic City. Using the Atlantic Ocean as a backdrop on the beach at Hotel Faena, the beloved brand recently held two shows to highlight its cruise collection, sending models down a boardwalk-turned-runway.
“It is the best way to celebrate our customers. We can’t invite everyone to Paris or Monaco or wherever. And it’s very important for us to be able to take the collection to better engage them and connect them with the collection.” Bruno Pavlovskypresident of Chanel’s fashion activities and president of SAS, has vanity fair.
Available in boutiques later this month, the collections were showcased in a set designed by the director Baz Luhrman and costume designer Catherine Martin. Guests enjoyed the variety of styles, from cozy cabanas with two-tone red and white striped umbrellas and red loungers inspired by auto racing, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, the casino and the French Riviera. “Because of the colors, the energy, here in Miami it is perfect. You forget about Monaco and you can imagine that this collection was designed for Miami”, shares Pavlovsky.
Left and Right, by Corey Tenold; center, courtesy of Chanel.
Attendees included a mix of clients, press and VIP guests. Caroline de Maigret, Pharrell Williams, Lily Rose Depp, Marion Cotillard, nile rogers, Cho ArdenY Ella Balinska. De Maigret, a longtime brand ambassador, attended both shows in Monaco and now in Miami and commented that the city worked perfectly for the collection’s fun, fresh and sporty vibes. “[In] Monaco you have the story of Gabrielle Chanel [who] I used to go there and then Karl Lagerfeld used to go there, so there was a special thrill from the history of the house that was very moving. But you know the story goes on and it’s fun to be here too!” she says.
After the show, guests enjoyed a casual evening in the arena to tunes from DJ Allie Teilz and a special performance by nile rodgers and BOY. Rogers took the audience through this catalog of hits, including “Le Freak,” “Good Times,” “I Want Your Love” and many more, and then went on to detail a list of songs he wrote for other people from diana rosssister sled, Virginand David Bowie. The night did not end there, soon Pharrell Williams joined the stage to perform his popular song “Get Lucky”.
By Corey Tenold.
Talking to Williams about her first Chanel memory, she immediately responded, “Biggie!” before reciting a verse from the Notorious BIG’s “One More Chance,” “… Chanel baby Benz bags swapped in your Hyundai Excel…”
The next day, the brand hosted 190 students from local colleges for a Pavlovsky masterclass, moderated by Tyler Brule, president and editor-in-chief of Monocle magazine, which also included Williams and de Maigret. During the discussion at le19M, the cultural center dedicated to Fashion Métiers d’art in Paris, Pavlovsky and Williams discussed Chanel’s upcoming Metiers d’art show, a three-day festival taking place in Dakar next month. The two highlighted Dakar as an influential artistic capital on the international scene where the areas of fashion, cinema, dance, music and art reign supreme.