A NEW ERA OF COUTURE: CHANEL SPRING 2014

Karl Lagerfeld has been given many names: Kaiser, Satanist—thanks to the controversy from his use of a verse from the Qur'an in his spring 1994 couture collection for Chanel, God Father of Fashion, and so on. But after this collection, I'm giving him a new name: Revolutionist.

Yes, Lagerfeld shown how couture doesn't have to be a frou-frou-super-fuzzy ball gown. It can be understated, cool, and still understandable for everyone without loosing its appreciation to detail and technique. Couture can also be fun and witty—remember Schiaparelli's lobster dress?  And this collection proof just about it.

The set is pretty simple: a super white set with 2 'couture stairs' that reminds me of the stairs at Coco Chanel's 31 Rue Cambon apartment. Shaggy French pop star Sébastien Tellier and his orchestra serenade the show while the models glided onto the stage. "It's an ice palace, a nightclub on another planet," He described.

The clothes are the one that shocked everyone. A classic Chanel couture tweed suite paired with manny-pack, elbow and knee safety pads? Only Karl can think about that. Another shocking factor are those midriff corsets—the piece of clothing that Coco herself loathe to death and tried to cast off a century ago. Oh that's more. All the looks are paired with SNEAKER—even the 'couture bride' look. But it's not just a regular sneaker, it's a €3,000ish couture sneaker by Massaro (base with python, adorned with lace, pearls, and tweed).

With this collection, couture has just been civilized. Hat's off Uncle Karl.

See the full collection at Nowfashion.com

photo credit: Nowfashion.com