Formula-1 fans may descend on Miami this weekend for the city’s first ever Grand Prix, but Virginie Viard is here to remind us that, when it comes to vacationing, shopping, and, of course, racing, nothing will ever beat Monte Carlo. The creative director staged Chanel’s cruise 2022/23 show at the Beach Hotel on the French Riviera, taking inspiration from Monaco’s rich and luxurious history for the 67-piece collection, and inviting friends and muses of the house to join in on the French fantasy.
Sitting in loungers perched on the beach, guests enjoyed the show in front of them, as well as a view of Karl Lagerfeld’s villa in the distance. Sofia Coppola pulled double duty at the event, as a guest, but also as a director of a short film that played before the collection’s presentation, which she worked on with her brother, Roman. The director arrived at the show in a black tee and striped maxi skirt, adorned with gold buttons down the front. Tilda Swinton made an appearance as well, showing off her more casual side in a double-breasted floral shirt dress and camellia slides. South Korean rapper G-Dragon represented the younger cohort of Chanel fans, helped by brand ambassador Kristen Stewart, who arrived in a sequined mini dress with a tweed cardigan falling off her shoulders.
Longtime friend of the house, Princess Caroline, rounded out the guests, posing with French actress Carole Bouquet, ahead of the show in white eyelet pants, a red knit jacket, and a stack of beads around her neck. In the show notes, Viard recalled the first time she saw Caroline, fittingly on the beach in Monaco. “She was wearing a draped black dress, very thin tights, and heels,” the designer wrote. “Monaco is inherent to the history of Chanel. We have lived so many happy moments here.”
The Coppolas’ short video started off the presentation, romanticizing the Monaco lifestyle of boats, champagne, and opulence. From there, models hit the runway. Racing suits rendered in sequins and tweed, decorated with brooches and belts started the show. A gilded look made up of gold trousers and a gold tweed jacket was accessorized with a slot machine bag, while tennis whites were given a Chanel upgrade and their own racquet bag to match. The collection combined sport and glamour, depicting a woman starting her day with a mixed doubles match, followed by lunch at the pool with a terry cloth cardigan coverup, and ending with a night on the town in wide leg trousers.
