The only thing better than a chic, statement-making runway show is a chic, statement-making runway show that draws attention to a good cause. Chanel has been a leader (if not THE leader) on the high-fashion scene since, well, pretty much forever. The fashion house always creates buzz during Paris Fashion Week, but this time the buzz wasn’t just about fabrics and silhouettes.
Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel’s head designer and creative director, turned the runway into a life-like Parisian boulevard. Eighty-five models marched down the boulevard in staged protest, demonstrating for women’s rights. The models held signs with sayings like “History is Her Story,” “Votez Pour Vous,” “We Can Match the Machos,” “Feminism Not Masochism” and many more. There was even a sign emblazoned with the words “He For She,” the phrase that Emma Watson created and has since gone viral.
Big names like Cara Delevingne, Gisele Bundchen, Kendall Jenner, and Georgia May Jagger marched in the show. The message also applied to the fashion aspect of women’s rights, of course. Seventies-inspired garb and rainbow-colored suits were paired with signs reading “Be Your Own Stylist” and “Be Different.”
Chanel’s anything-but-traditional show is just the kind of statement we need right now. Great job, Mr. Lagerfeld – thanks for being “For She.”
