Just in: ELLE's Chanel review

After last season's theatrical romp in the hay which saw Lily Allen sing live and a resort collection presented on a Venice boardwalk at sunset, one has come to expect something rather special from a Chanel show.

By ELLE UK and NonePublished: 09 March 2010

<p>Rumours about today's Autumn Winter 2010 show came thick, fast and - we presumed - wildly exaggerated. An ice catwalk. No, an iceberg flown(?!) in from Sweden. Fur and lots of it, but all fake. In typical Karl style it was all true. Apart from the Swed

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Rumours about today's Autumn Winter 2010 show came thick, fast and - we presumed - wildly exaggerated. An ice catwalk. No, an iceberg flown(?!) in from Sweden. Fur and lots of it, but all fake. In typical Karl style it was all true. Apart from the Sweden bit. That would be ridiculous...

In the vast arena of the Grand Palais, white walls concealing the catwalk were lifted to indeed reveal an iceberg, picked into the shape of ice caps and bridges, melting to form pools of water underfoot.

The Chanel tweed was interwoven and edged with fur, knee-high yeti boots with 'ice-cap' heels sloshed through the water-logged runway. Tassels trimmed roll-neck dresses, tiered dresses with icicle gems dropped from skirts and were wrapped in blanket coats. Even the quilted bag was made in to a water bottle holder.

After a fur-heavy opener (head-to-toe Big Foot style on the men), came a white section that was less of a pun. Mohair dresses were layered with white and clear gem jewellery, embroidered sheer shifts given a fur skirt and a boucle wool and tiered tulle gown of the utmost elegance. A brilliant idea for a winter wedding.

After a season that has seen real fur litter the catwalk in the most unexpected of labels, Chanel's use of fake fur will hopefully persuade designers to experiment with ethically sourced man-made materials going forward.

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