The Grand Palais Éphémère transformed into a silver-screen dreamscape for Chanel’s Fall Winter 2024-2025 show, where creative director Virginie Viard staged a breathtaking homage to Claude Lelouch’s 1966 French New Wave classic Un homme et une femme. In a masterstroke of fashion-as-storytelling, the collection blurred the lines between runway presentation and arthouse cinema—with Brad Pitt and Penélope Cruz as its reluctant lovers.

Opening Scene: A Black-and-White Fantasy

The show began not with models, but with film magic:

• A short film directed by Inez & Vinoodh recreated the original movie’s Deauville boardwalk romance, with Pitt and Cruz trading glances over champagne at the Hôtel Normandy
• The iconic Francis Lai soundtrack swelled as Cruz (a Chanel ambassador since 2018) clutched the new 11.12 handbag—a product placement so elegant it felt woven into the plot
• The real coup? Original director Claude Lelouch himself made a surprise appearance with Cruz, drawing gasps from the front row

This wasn’t just a fashion show—it was a cultural séance, summoning the ghost of 1960s French glamour.

The Collection: Deauville Through Chanel’s Lens

Viard channeled Coco’s revolutionary 1912 Deauville boutique into clothes that felt both nostalgic and newly alive:

Sunset on the Boardwalk

✔ Belted tweed coats in peach, saffron, and dusk-blue—as if dyed by Normandy skies
✔ Fisherman sweaters reimagined in cashmere so fine it whispered
✔ Nautical stripes sliced with razor-sharp leather belts

The Androgynous Allure

• 1920s-inspired blouses with jutting collars, paired with Bowie-esque culottes
• Tuxedo jumpsuits in liquid patent leather that moved like second-skin
• Tweed skirt suits cut with masculine precision, then softened with gardenia pins

Evening’s Final Act

• Bohemian chiffon gowns that floated like sea mist
• Sequined cocktail dresses with jazz-age fringe
• A flapper-meets-rocker black leather coat that Anouk Aimée’s character might’ve stolen from her lover

Why This Show Marks Viard’s Coming of Age

After five years as Chanel’s creative director, Viard has found her voice—and it’s unapologetically cinematic.

✔ The Pitt Factor: Casting Brad (Chanel’s first male No.5 ambassador) was a full-circle moment—the original 1966 film organically featured Chanel bags in scenes
✔ Cruz’s Emotional Connection: The Spanish star’s childhood love for the film (she attended with her mother) added authentic heart
✔ Minor Missteps: A few overwhelming hats couldn’t dim the collection’s cohesive brilliance

Final Cut

With this show, Viard proved she’s no longer living in Lagerfeld’s shadow—she’s projecting her own vision. And what a vision it is: French romance, distilled through Chanel’s rebel heart.

Would you wear this love story? 🎬 The collection arrives August 2024.