Chanel Autumn/Winter 2023: 9 A+ Looks

It’s already an iconic fixture of the house: the Chanel camellia. You’d find one adorning every Chanel paper bag that comes with a purchase in the boutiques—in white and starkly contrasting the bag’s black. And of course, the camellia is already a staple within the house’s different universes, from jewellery to watches to fashion accessories.

But for autumn/winter 2023, the camellia was highlighted more than ever before by artistic director Virginie Viard. A giant camellia structure stood in the middle of the runway in white as scenes of an Inez and Vinoodh film were projected throughout the show, before it turned red for the finale.

“I find [the camellia] reassuring and familiar, I like its softness and its strength,” explains Viard in the collection notes.

There was an obvious juxtaposition of that softness and strength, the latter captured by Viard through the use of fabrics as well as boyish design references. Bermudas dominated the conversation, paired with tops and jackets of the same material for an undoubtedly dandy combination. The camellia was also reimagined in a number of hardier materials the likes of leather (look 2) and tweed (look 42), effectively juxtaposing its tender nature as a flower.

The camellia itself was used to full effect. Apart from the fabric manipulations, they appeared in rather fun interpretations. The most obvious was those that featured the camellia in its most familiar Chanel state on black knits as well as footwear. There were also more abstract forms made of feathers and embroidery, and of course, a range of prints and jacquards that at times, lent a 1970s feel.

Viard not only took the camellia as an adornment but also referenced its petals as inspiration for construction. Asymmetry—a signature Viard design choice—were replete on hems of dresses and skirts.

One would have imagined that a collection based around the camellia could end up tacky. Or at the very least, not that exciting. But the autumn/winter 2023 collection proved that there’s much breadth from just that single point of reference. And while perhaps some tighter editing should have been done, the range of interpretations of the camellia felt natural for Chanel.

View the full Chanel autumn/winter 2023 collection in the gallery below.

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