Chanel Fall / Winter '21

For its Fall/Winter 2021 collection, Chanel teamed up with legendary photography duo Inez and Vindooh. The film for the collection is set in Castel, a nightclub known to attract artists. Creative Director of Chanel and the late Karl Lagerfeld's successor Virginie Viard explains, "I like Castel so much for its many salons, the spiral staircase, its bar, the journey through this venue, its little house style, where the models can get changed, dressed and undressed, do their make-up together, and have fun like a girls night in. It’s very sensual."

That sensuality reads through the film. The camera follows the models in a way that feels unobtrusive. Inez and Vindooh's direction gives the sense that they'd like to be a fashion fly on the wall, observing the models as they move throughout the Castel sitting at tables or dreamily staring out of windows while having a cup of tea.

This collection was inspired by contrasts. We see that even in moments when the models look directly into the camera almost as if to say, "I knew you were here the whole time." It feels like a wink and a nod to the engineering of fashion films, the processes we are undertaking now to communicate to our audience.

Chanel FW21 wants to embrace the athletic and cozy ambiance of ski holidays while remaining true to the chic Parisian aesthetic that is so widely sought after in fashion. "Contrasts between volumes, materials and spirit," as Virginie Viard puts it. A classic Chanel tweed coat is paired with black, chunky faux fur boots. Ski suits are combined with feminine and delicate strappy sandals. It's a tale of two worlds and we want to live in both of them.