Chanel Fall 2023 Is An Exploration Of Eternal House Codes

Virginie Viard’s Chanel is contemporary but classic and irrevocably French. This collection doesn’t stray too far from that vision, focusing on fluidity. The show opened with a muted palette of black, grey, and white with pops of pastel pink. Viard wanted the RTW to be delicate in motion. Flowy dresses with high slits, flouncy maxi skirts, and asymmetrical tailoring echo this sentiment.

However, the collection’s main focus is so clearly the camellia flower, which has been an integral symbol for the House of Chanel since the brand’s early days. The camellia has become synonymous with the House, and this season it’s that bohemian spirit of the camellia flower that drives the Chanel girl that is explored and reinvented.

“The camellia is more than a theme, it’s an eternal code of the House. I find it reassuring and familiar, I like its softness and its strength.”

Appearing on dresses in the form of prints, as appliques on shoes, and embellished with tiny crystals onto matching separates, the camellia flower takes center stage for Fall 2023. The bags, too, are dressed in floral, from flap bags with a big flower finish and crystal-embellished floral flaps to camellia minaudières, the accessories, too, take on Chanel’s heritage. A mix of wearable and collectible, this collection does feel less bag-heavy than in past seasons.

View bags from the runway below, images via Chanel.

The Bags of Chanel Fall 2023