Chanel Fall Winter 2022-2023 “River Tweed” or “Twisted Tweed”. Review by Eleonora de Gray, Editor-in-Chief of RUNWAY MAGAZINE.

For new Fall season Virginie Viard explored the eternal code of the House of CHANEL, and entirely devoted collection to tweed. She interpreted the codes, adapted them for herself. Cousy and oversized sweaters, pullovers, grandmother’s stocking and fisherman boots all came to life in this Scottish tale told by Virginie Viard. This is not a story of a girl in big city, not Chanel, this is a story of Virginie Viard, secretly dancing in cold win somewhere in a middle of nowhere.

“Elegant and feminine, tweed breathes with the movement and rhythm of modern life. Here, this emblematic CHANEL fabric resonates with the soft winter landscape, evoking the warp and weft of an eternal dream,” – says press-release.

The photographers visited the banks of the River Tweed in Scotland, in the Scottish Borders region. Against a sonic backdrop by Aphex Twin, their images draw inspiration from the saturated aesthetic of 1960s psychedelic films. A succession of panoramic views of the river and landscapes of the Scottish moors follow one another, like so many images known by Gabrielle Chanel.

“Through the countryside a river runs. From a bird’s eye view, mysterious waters meet like a mirror. As if in a dream, a bridge of bricks and stone appears, then an arched viaduct and a signpost: RIVER TWEED.
Through the countryside a river runs. Morning mists reveal a myriad of colours, like an eternal weave of symmetrical shapes. As if in a dream, when nature meets human hand, a signpost appears: RIVER TWEED.”

Poem in Press-release.

“Devoting the entire collection to tweed is a tribute,” says Virginie Viard. “We followed the footsteps of Gabrielle Chanel along the River Tweed, to imagine tweeds in the colours of this landscape. Like that of a long pink coat mottled with blue and purple, or a burgundy suit with a delicate gold shimmer. This is what Gabrielle Chanel would do on her walks through the Scottish countryside: she would gather ferns and bouquets of flowers to inspire the local artisans for the tones she wanted.”

Then there is her story with the Duke of Westminster, his jackets that she made her own. “There’s nothing sexier than wearing the clothes of the person you love,” continues Virginie Viard. “Of course, I’m fascinated by this ever-contemporary gesture. And it’s CHANEL that renders the tweed feminine.”

For the CHANEL Fall-Winter 2022/23 Ready-to-Wear collection, presented in a space at the Grand Palais Éphémère swathed entirely in tweed, there are jackets in psychedelic colours, others that are subtly masculine or slightly oversize, trousers in black panne velvet, tight skirts worn with long socks and pointed pumps with a mini stiletto heel in patent leather or bouclette wool, as well as boots and thigh-high boots in black or beige rubber. “I was also thinking about England in the 1960s, and very colourful record covers,” adds Virginie Viard.

Allowing for infinite combinations of colours and materials, tweed is an eternal code for the House: “I love working with it so much, I couldn’t live without it at CHANEL.”

See preview of the collection / editorial

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