From Biarritz Seashore to the New York Gallery Scene
Something a little different for you today — we’re talking Chanel (because we don’t live under a rock here), and what people are wearing IRL, as seen in the gallery district in New York.
While deep in the trenches of getting dressed in advanced pregnancy, I found myself exploring styling through logic systems — a bit of a cheat sheet, if you will.
The third-piece rule. A pop of color. The point system.
And then Chanel presented their Cruise collection, and it became obvious I’d have to include that too. A - because when someone mentions the shoeless shoe, you simply have to know what they’re talking about. And B - because runway shows may look like fantasy, but they’re really built on the same styling logic we use every day.
Love It or Hate It, You Can’t Ignore It
Matthieu Blazy has been doing JOY better than anyone since he started at the house, and while the beginning of his journey was met with a standing ovation, since then, we’ve seen some controversy, reaching its current peak with the shoeless shoe.
The one thing that I find incredibly entertaining and also genius is how much online chatter and PR this is creating. The Internet is once again divided into two - the girlies and influencers dying over this heel strap and whatever else Matthieu Blazy is creating, and the rage-baiters passionately hating this and feeling personally insulted. And then there’s me, watching from the sidelines, not understanding why people are taking everything at face value?
Let’s start at the beginning.
The runway is the designer’s opportunity and space to do some world-building, create a unique setting for his design, convey fantasy and whimsy, and enhance it in whatever shoeless way he wants! And Blazy scores a 10/10 in this category, paying homage to Gabrielle Chanel as he did in all the previous shows, intentionally going to her roots at Biarritz.
We do not know if the “shoe” will ever hit stores, and if it does, I’m sure it’ll be purchased by collectors, Blazy fans, and perhaps just for the IG moments in St. Tropez. Why not?! Fashion is here for us to have fun, and this is fun:
There were quite a lot of things that I would not personally wear or be drawn to, but I’m also not the consumer this is aimed at, as, unfortunately, this November, I have no plans to depart on my private, non-existent yacht.
I played around with interpreting one of the runway looks, and I gotta tell you - it turns out pretty rad off the runway as well. Which says a lot about the strength of the vision. So instead of arguing about the shoes, I started looking at what actually matters — how these looks are built.
Once you start noticing how looks are built, you begin seeing the same patterns everywhere — not just on runways, but on sidewalks too.
It’s a Gallery Night — Let’s Get Dressed
I’m not ashamed to admit that people-watching is one of my favorite pastimes, practicing the skill of noticing details (my version of Sudoku) while mentally taking notes on styling tricks.
There’s absolutely no doubt that one of the best places to do so is at gallery openings, where art lovers want to show up looking good, but also stay comfortable while walking the galleries and mingling.
Personally, I decided to lean into a tonal look with a pop of color. Arriving at the gallery, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this styling trick was echoed not only by other New York girls, but by art itself (lol).
If there was one item dominating the room, it was the trench coat.
Beige, olive undertone, navy, cropped - New-York girls know you cannot trust spring weather, and dress accordingly.
I loved the details of a pushed-up sleeve, an unexpected pop of color, and, of course, the bandana that everyone had promised would be back.
We also had people leaning into bright colors and tonal looks with exaggerated proportions. I loved those wide-leg pants that, from many angles, looked like a skirt - so cool!
Next up on the fashion calendar — the Met Gala is T minus 3 days! I’m curious to see how everyone interprets the “Fashion is Art” dress code, and if you haven’t already, you can check out my piece on the new patrons of fashion.
More styling pieces, if you’re looking for inspo:
