Chanel Used Paper, Straw and Wood for the Nature-Themed Spring 2016 Couture Collection

Karl Lagerfeld is never at a loss for inspiration. He draws from grocery stores, airports and even tragedies to create intricate collections with meticulous themes. For spring, his haute couture offering for Chanel is a sartorial ode to sustainability.

 

#ChanelHauteCouture #ChanelHC16

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Lagerfeld sent flowing gowns and capes down the runway, embellished with wood shavings and nature prints like flowers and bees. He employed recyclable and biodegradable materials like wood and straw to create the hand-crafted designs. And models walked the grassy runway in cork platforms. 

 

#ChanelHauteCouture #ChanelHC16

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Even the set was “entirely recyclable,” Lagerfeld told journalists backstage. The three-story wooden doll house reportedly took eight days to build. A green garden (with actual grass) flanked both sides. “At the moment, sustainability is part of an expression of our times,” he said. 

 

#ChanelHauteCouture #ChanelHC16

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To be fair, Lagerfeld was inspired by sources other than nature. Pablo Picasso’s Head of a Woman sculpture informed the models’ tucked hairstyles. And his ‘celebration of nature’ motif is no indication that Chanel is now an eco-conscious brand. Dazed notes that the fashion house has “yet to make a definitive and concrete CSR statement for their policies on carbon emissions, environment awareness and labour conditions.”

 

#ChanelHauteCouture #ChanelHC16 @kendalljenner @gigihadid

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It’s hard to tell whether this marks a new direction for the label, or if it’s just another buzzworthy theme Lagerfeld will abandon next season. Regardless, it did set the perfect backdrop for Cara Delevingne and her dog, who sat front row. 

 

Walk in the park/dog/cat walk @chanelofficial

A photo posted by Cara Delevingne (@caradelevingne) on

See the full collection in the slideshow below:

[via Dazed]

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