On May 3, Karl Lagerfeld presented his 2016/17 Cruise collection on the Paseo del Prado of Cuba’s Havana. The show not only presented a culturally divergent collection from Chanel; it also served as a significant milestone in history as the first international fashion show held in Cuba since the 1959 communist revolution.
Magnificent columns of trees lined either side of the paved catwalk and draped overhead, framing a spectacular outdoor setting on the main promenade of Havana’s Paseo del Prado. Cuban-French sister duo Ibeyi set the theme of the show with culturally rich Spanish singing before the first models appeared.
With each model wearing either a panama hat or a black sequinned beret, the cultural reference was boldly presented in a 1950s Cuba meets Parisian chic aesthetic. It was Cuba’s “cultural richness” that inspired Lagerfeld’s collection to focus on the controversial country.
In December 2014, an agreement between the United States and Cuba, widely called “The Cuban Thaw” marked the healing process of restoring international relations between the two countries. This show from Chanel presented the first of its kind as a reflection of the revitalised contextual climate between Cuba and major Western institutions.
The collection opened with a monochromatic colour palette, with pinstripe trousers and romantic ruffled skirts paired with characteristic Chanel suited torsos that quickly established the androgynous aesthetic the collection dabbled with.
A strong sense of 1950s silhouettes in full, draping romantic skirts and cinched waistlines bared relationship to oversized 1970s inspired sleeves. Fabrications were intensely textured with dense fringing, embellishment, and embroidery featuring on contrasting fabrics of sheer organza silks to heavy-duty tweed.
The colour palette between the eighty-six looks took a journey between colour combinations. It began on a more neutral note with beiges being paired with shades of grey, to a leisurely addition of khaki and popping burgundy, finally amounting into an explosion of colour and visual textures.
Brogues were the footwear of choice, with the occasional embellished slip-on sandal. And the signature Chanel cigarette box clutch was the sought after accessory.
The show concluded in an impressive parade of panamas as the models danced with the Cuban folk band as Lagerfeld walked the catwalk and relished in praise.
See the entire collection here.
