DUBAI: French Algerian model Loli Bahia opened Chanel’s runway show during Paris Haute Couture Week in an ensemble that combined the house’s signature tweed with pastel quilting.
The look featured a jacket with a quilted front panel in soft shades of pink, blue, yellow and green, contrasted with white tweed sleeves. The jacket was detailed with front pockets and Chanel’s signature buttons.
The in-demand model also wore a white tweed mini skirt, paired with a slim black belt featuring a gold buckle. The outfit was completed with two-tone Mary Jane heels in black and white, secured with gold buckle-adorned ankle straps.
Bahia was joined by Mona Tougaard, a Danish model of Turkish, Somali and Ethiopian descent, who walked the runway in a white gown with layered textures and embellishments.
The sleeveless dress featured a beaded trim along the neckline and transitioned into a flowing sheer skirt with subtle embellishments. Her hair was styled in soft waves, and she showed off a deep red lip color.
Other runway pieces struck a balance between whimsy and drama. Beyond the house’s bread-and-butter tweed skirt suits, leg-of-mutton sleeves brought historical grandeur, evoking a sense of Victorian elegance. Sequins and paillettes shimmered under the bright lights of the Grand Palais, the iconic Parisian museum. Silk trains in bold red injected a sense of drama. Playful neckties hinted at a 1970s influence.
But the devil at Chanel couture is in the detail — the buttons.
Buttons in rock crystal, metal, and rhinestone ones adorned jackets, skirts, and dresses, adding a quiet brilliance to the vibrant collection.
The audience was a testament to Chanel’s unmatched global power, boasting one of the most prestigious guestlists of the week — and not just Kylie Jenner perched atop the double-C decor. Global ambassadors Jennie, the K-pop superstar from BLACKPINK, G-Dragon and Lily-Rose Depp sat alongside Dua Lipa, Marion Cotillard and actresses Elsa Zylberstein and Antonia Desplat.
Among the star-studded crowd, Pamela Anderson, who has been seen at shows all week was flanked by teams of menacing security guards.
From the Arab world, Iraqi influencer Jwana Karim, known for her appearance in season three of Netflix’s “Dubai Bling,” was also in attendance.