Surrounded by blue sky warmed by a gentle sun, trees stripped bare by the season and a floor covered with autumn leaves, the Chanel Fall 2018 collection features prints of foliage or rings of grey wood, accompany the signature black and white of the House.

The tweed, classic, downy, frayed or woven, alternated with broadcloth, cotton canvas, soft knits, corduroy and velvet. Thigh boots, boots and brogues in oxide gold leather, pink leather fingerless gloves, faux fur cuffs encrusted with feathers, and big colourful scarves warmed this modern and comfortable silhouette. “Chanel, it’s life itself, clothes that have a possibility of life”, adds Karl Lagerfeld.

The long and tubular silhouette was held with square shoulders, clean and high collars. The iconic jacket was lengthened to mid-thigh or worn short at the waist. The Chanel suit was twisted with poncho peplums.  Large overcoats skimmed the floor, twisting the spirit of great capes by adding sleeves with wide turnback cuffs or sometimes cuffs and hems finished with feathers.

The collection called upon winter in a sophistication pushed to the extreme for evening. Chevroned ribbons encased sheath dresses or a jabot adorns the collar of a dress in pleated tulle. Crêpe blouses were quilted at the shoulder and the wrists. Capes in faux fur enhanced with feathers envelop layers of dresses in lace. Playing with the transparency of the material, their leaf inlayed motifs revealed the very veins of the foliage like a filigree.

The new bag, named 31, created by Karl Lagerfeld joined the family of Chanel accessories was a generous shape of this shopper combining smooth leather with quilted leather, printed cotton canvas or tweed.

Go backstage at the forest-themed Chanel Fall 2018 runway show presented at the Grand Palais in Paris.