Story: Leslie Yip Photos: Benoit Peverelli
The invitation to view the Paris live show came in the form of a pop-up card with the word “Chanel” cut out in the style of the Hollywood sign, and the Toronto after-party took place in the newly refurbished Paradise Theatre on Bloor Street. It isn’t hard to put two and two together to figure out that the Chanel Spring/Summer 2021 collection took its inspiration from the cinema.
One does not realize the grand scale of the Chanel sign serving as the backdrop until the first models emerge from between the letters. At a height of 12 metres, it’s almost as tall as the real thing atop the Santa Monica Mountains. The models may seem dwarfed by the dramatic set, but the looks they present have a larger-than-life presence, harkening to screen goddesses of the silver screen.
“This collection is a tribute to the muses of the House,” says Virginie Viard, Chanel’s creative director. “Gabrielle Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld dressed so many actresses in film and in real life.
“I was thinking about those who make us dream, but without wanting to replicate, without falling into a vintage cliché. I wanted it to be very joyful, colourful and very vibrant, too.”
So, alongside the sequined pantsuit, the dramatic black-framed white jumpsuit and the ethereal off-shoulder flower dress are jeans in fluorescent colours, fluid dresses, T-shirts with the letters of CHANEL like neon lights, pale pink capri pants, bermuda shorts suits and layers of asymmetry.
Says Viard: “The world of Chanel evokes so many images, a whole unconsciousness that’s linked to cinema.”
What were your sources of inspiration for this makeup?
“It’s about a cinematic woman, the makeup look is a very exquisite masculine and feminine with a minimalist glamour feel to it. It’s an all-over matte look. It’s very finished and matte in a pristine kind of way. The girls feel slightly untouchable.
Can you describe the fashion show makeup?
All the finishes are matte, like on the eyes, lips and skin. On the face, I used a concealer (Le Cirrectrue de CHANEL) where needed and a powder compact foundation Ultra Le Teint as I really wanted the girls makeup to look very blurry, matte and pristine. On the eyes, I used two colours from Les 4 Omberes mixed together, a grey from Blurry Grey’s palette and a black eyeshadow from Modern Glamour, to create a smoky effect all over the lids with a matte finish.
I brushed up and defined brows with a pencil, Stylo Sourcils Waterproof and an eyebrow gel Le Gel Sourcils. I finished with a black mascara (Le Volume Révolution de CHANEL Noir), on the top lashes only. Then, I used a nude lip pencil, Le Crayon Levrès Nude Brun and Rouge Allure Velvet Extrême Modern, a matte peachy brown lipstick on the top. And that’s the look!
Do you have any professional tips and tricks to share with us?
The trick to get this look right is to put a base of Le Correctrue de CHANEL concealer all over the eyelid and then put the grey black eyeshadow directly on the lid, using the flat brush and patterning on all over the eyelid. Then blend it in the socket line to create that blurriness around it.
Is there a product that you particularly enjoyed using for this makeup look?
I particularly enjoyed using the compact foundation Ultra Le Teint because it’s a creamy powdery foundation but it feels very light, like a veil. I really loved using it because it gave me that matte blurry finish I was looking for.”
