Chanel shows its mettle at Paris fashion with tweed, silver and gold

A rowdy demonstration broke out at the finale of the Chanel show in the Grand Palais in Paris yesterday.

It was all staged, of course, and the banners toted by the stylish army of models (including Cara Delevingne and Giselle) carried slogans such as "Tweed not Tweet", "Feminist Means Feminine" on a set got up to look like a Parisian boulevard, complete with pavement puddles.

Keeping the brand fresh and relevant is a key to Chanel’s global power.

The show opened with models striding out in force, military style, and then in companionable twos and threes, in golden flats and dot-framed glasses, carrying everything from lace totes to clear raincoats. On they marched, showing their mettle in an array of trouser suits in metallic tweeds, pixilated prints and khaki suede, followed by a blast of multicoloured capes, coats and boots.

As a theatrical spectacle, it was a tour de force. There was so much to take in – the scaly silver dresses, the gold belts, the striped knits, the metallic pinstripe suits, the sweet lace cape blouses, the gold bomber jackets and more.

A winning black trio — razor-sharp jacket, kilt, leggings, and flat black and white brogues – closed the show, making its own statement about feminine power, a recurrent theme in the spring/summer collections.