Chanel Resort 2017 Collection in Cuba

Fashionistas and celebrities from around the world gathered together for yet again another outstanding show by Chanel for the Chanel Resort 2017 collection in Cuba. Karl Lagerfeld created his very own private runway at a very unique venue in Havana, Cuba for his shoe and is known to have his shows at unusual spots around the world.

“To explore new horizons is a way to fire imaginations and renew the vision of our brand while sharing the culture and heritage of the locations chosen for our fashion shows”.

Cuba has been opening itself to the world lately with U.S President Barack Obama visiting in March, the Rolling stones performing in Havana the same week and the next Fast and Furious movie is filming there right now. Chanel having a show in Havana was not something the Cubans ever had in mind and they all crowded up in balconies in the hope to get a glimpse of Chanel’s Resort 2017 collection. The show took place on an open-air catwalk on the Paseo del Prado, a long seaside boulevard that got a massive makeover for the occasion.

The half-hour show ended with a brief appearance by the German designer, dressed in his trademark gloves and a sequin jacket, who received a burst of applause and conga drums. Rumours have been circling recently that this was Karl Lagerfeld’s final collection for the French House but the designer supposedly has a life contract and I wonder would anyone else be able to create the large-scale shows that he does.

Leading up to the show, Karl Lagerfeld had the guests take a cultural tour of the city with stops at places like Earnest Hemingway’s house and the Factoria Havana after which there was a fleet of 170 multi-coloured 1950’s vintage convertibles that was arranged for the attendees to arrive in for the show. What a show it was and it ended with the models dancing down Prado to the drumming and singing of an Afro-Cuban band. This kept everyone in the mood for a party, leading up to the after party where the attendees were taken to Havana’s Cathedral Plaza which was transformed into a beach-themed party.

The theme for Chanel’s new collection was an interpretation of the ‘guayabera’ which is a traditional Cuban shirt with pockets, shoulder tabs and flat pleats. Karl Lagerfeld gave it a nickname: ‘Cuban Tux’. Chanel always brings out a trend that stays and some of them were embroidered cycling shorts, multicoloured palm tree prints, scooped necklines, puffed sleeves, feathers, cadillac print and lots of clutch bags that were cigar-inspired.

Chanel Resort 2017 Collection in Cuba

The colors in the collection were yellow, pink, orange, turquoise, smoky browns and bright green. In the 25-minute show we sure did see a lot from Chanel, from banana-leaf-shaped organza appliquéd skirts, with retro t-shirts which had “Coco Cuba” written on it layered under tweed suits. Keeping with some other trends from this year you and found pajamas and dressing gowns/slips in the show.  Other highlights included the khaki army jackets with tweed backs, black crochet dresses and backpacks.

The accessories used during the show were for one the Panama hat, woven flip-flops, caged sandals worn over ankle socks, crocheted backpacks, soft bundle bags with multicoloured local snail patterns, and of course the ‘cigar box’.

A handful of high-profile people attended, like model Gisele Bündchen, actor Vin Diesel (who is in town shooting the latest Fast and Furious movie) and Tilda Swinton, and even Fidel Castro’s grandson Tony, all sitting in the front row on the actual park benches. Anna Wintour also made an appearance, looking lovely as she always does.