The Best of Chanel Cruise 2012
Photos: Getty Images
Looks from the Chanel 2012 Cruise collection
More is always more for Karl Lagerfeld, whether you’re talking about his schedule (the man has made multitasking an art), his lifestyle, or his runway extravaganzas.
For his latest Chanel Cruise collection, the designer booked the entirety of the ridiculously chic Hotel du Cap in Antibes, France, where he presented nearly 80 looks that ranged from trim little ladies-who-lunch-worthy suits to swimwear (topped with tweed jackets, of course) to showstopping evening fare—plus a few things for the boys.
While the paparazzi-drawing attendees (think Blake Lively, Rachel Bilson, Vanessa Paradis, Alexa Chung, and Anna Mouglalis, to name a few) looked on, Lagerfeld opened his show with a springy stretch of suiting, tailored close to the body and in summer-worthy shades of yellow and lavender.
Photos: Getty Images
Looks from the Chanel 2012 Cruise collection
Strong black and white (this is Chanel, after all) offered a graphic touch, with standouts like a sharp dress in the two shades, which split vertically down the middle and hit just below the knee—Lagerfeld’s apparent preferred hem length this season.
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Gray-haired super Kristen McMenamy, who seems to be enjoying a Karl-fueled comeback these days, impressed in a black-and-white swimsuit, while Lagerfeld’s perpetual muse Baptiste Giabiconi took the prize for best male head wear in a jeweled turban.
Of course, the starlets in the front row came for the evening looks, and the show didn’t disappoint there. A white strapless dress, layered over a narrower skirt, was trimmed with red florals for an elegant after-dark option, while a one-shoulder gown with a thigh-high slit might appeal to the more bohemian Chanel lover.
The real treasures of the collection, though, were Lagerfeld’s intricate white lace pieces, particularly a cap-sleeve version with pockets. Haute enough for the Riviera, indeed.
