If anyone knows how to create a mise en scène, it’s Karl Lagerfeld. And for Chanel’s Haute Couture Fall 2018 show in Paris, the designer transformed the Grand Palais into the Académie Française, the runway reimagined as a riverside promenade-lined lane replete with bouquinistes selling vintage Coco Chanel-themed books and magazines. But while the setting for Lagerfeld’s latest parade of the brand’s signature tweed evoked a nostalgic want for casual Parisian elegance, his vision above the neck was outright glamour with a punk twist. And it all began with the rockabilly-inspired quiffs whipped up by hairstylist Sam McKnight: “The Chanel girl is going rock ‘n’ roll with a high whiff in front and a swinging ponytail in the back,” he explained backstage.
Sculpting the lengths of Grace Elizabeth, HoYeon Jung, Vittoria Ceretti, and more models upwards “to elongate the elegant silhouette of the clothes,” McKnight misted his Easy-Up Do spray into the roots of the front section to create volume, then molded it into a swooping faux pompadour that tapered just above the eye to Jailhouse Rock effect. And makeup artist Tom Pecheux added even more drama, punching up each girl’s fresh-faced skin and groomed brows with swathes of shimmery jade green shadow along the lids and dabs of gold-flecked glitter along the inner corners and beneath the waterlines.
With temperatures pushing 32 degrees Celsius in Paris, extreme glamour may be a tall order for summer. But still, Lagerfeld’s message was loud and clear: Enough minimal hair and makeup, it’s time to peacock along the banks of the River Seine.
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This article first appeared on Vogue.com
