Chanel Spring 2018 - Runway Review

Creating a facsimile of the vertiginous cliffs and waterfalls of the Gorges du Verdon -- a spectacular beauty in the South of France -- Karl Lagerfeld celebrated the power of forward-looking fashion for his spring Chanel collection. A breeze billowed off the models' clear plastic boaters and created a carefree flow as they strode on in their thigh-high plastic boots. If the sense of feeling water molecules on your skin was just a tad too literal, well, that's why Lagerfeld is the genius he is. 

This walk in the country was a beautiful take on everyday dressing: clear plastic coats and capes for those rainy days; the house tweeds aflutter with fringe; lurex threads and crystal jewelry glimmering in the sunlight. It was a terrific juxtaposition of natural-looking textures and a depth of artisanal design -- all developed in-house, natch. Optimism at its finest.