Behind The Seams: Chanel Couture Spring 2017 Look 65
In the world of haute couture, the first foremost thing to take note is the level of craftsmanship put into each and every look – be it an Oscar-worthy gown, a structured jacket or even the simplest little black dress.
And on the helm of this fascinating world stands Chanel, who has one of the world's best legion of seamstresses, pattern makers and master craftsmen. Above all, there is Karl Lagerfeld, the prodigal fashion visionary of our time.
For the Spring 2017 Couture show, we saw a mirrored circular runway, made to resemble the staircase of Coco Chanel's atelier in Rue Cambon. A befitting theme for 2017 as Chanel kickstarts "The Year of Gabrielle Chanel".
And as we stand in awe with the entire collection of perfecting tailoring, feathers and sparkles, one look caught our attention most – Look 65, a glittery silver belted evening gown with a voluminous feathered hem.
So in celebration of this spectacular look and collection by the Kaiser, let us take you on an exclusive behind-the-seams journey to see how Look 65 was made.
Approximately a month and a half before the show, the first sketches by Karl Lagerfeld were given to the ateliers.
From the sketch, a pattern was made in off-white cotton toile and an exact three-dimensional silhouette was rendered.
After completing the basic silhouette, the look was tried on an in-house fitting model and subjected to Karl's approval.
Once approved, he would assign a specific fabric of his choice to create the look – in this case, organza.
Once the organza form was completed, the Lesage Ateliers would take over to embroider the entire look according to the design by Karl.
For this particular look, the masters at Lesage Ateliers put on 8,000 barrettes, 10,000 sequins and 500 facette stones by hand using needle and Lunevile crochet techniques.
And the entire process took approximately 400 hours of work.
At the same time, the Lemarié Ateliers assigned with the lower half of the look started working on the white ostrich feathers, which were painstakingly embellished on the hem of the skirt.
This process took another 80 hours of work before both parts of the dress were sent back to the Chanel Ateliers.
When the pieces from Lesage and Lemarié Ateliers arrived at the Chanel Ateliers, the expert seamstresses would start assembling the dress.
The dress is then tried on a mannequin to check its proportions and its accuracy to Karl's initial design.
Once it was confirmed, finishing touches were made to finish the dress.
After the dress is completed and before sending it to Karl, the dress would need to be styled with accessories and shoes.
For Look 65, a metallic belt and a pair of mirror effect silver leather heels were added.
And once Karl gave the green light during the final fitting with the chosen model for this look, it's ready!
And this season, the lucky girl is Lauren de Graaf, who walked down the runway with impeccable poise and style, one that even Gabrielle Chanel herself would approve.
Love Chanel as much as we do? Check out the latest Chanel's Gabrielle Bag campaign here.
(Photos exclusively by Chanel)
