Chanel Cruise: 2010

On May 14th, Karl Lagerfield unveiled the 2010 Chanel Cruise collection on the beach in beautiful Venice. The setting for the fashion show was rightfully chosen because Lagerfeld’s inspiration for this new collection was the classic Venetian glamour of the 1930’s. The show took place at the Excelsior hotel on the Lido beach. Lagerfeld was quick to explain his reasoning “Venice has a genuine dark and mysterious side to it that fascinated me. I really like the Italian spirit and the Venetian lifestyle. And let’s not forget that Coco Chanel came back to Venice for 10 years.”

The collection certainly reflected this Venetian theme. Think nautical with loads of stripes, brass buttons, and wide brimmed hats. Models sported 30’s bobs and walked down the boardwalk as 300 guests watched the show from wooden deck seats. Open toed wedge boots were worn with most of the looks. The lion, Venice’s emblem and also Coco Chanel’s birth sign, appeared as a print on flowy sepia-toned or black-and-white chiffon dresses.

I am coveting this Chanel headband worn to the show by actress Kasja Smutniak.