It was an almost miraculous moment in the finale of the Chanel autumn haute couture collection in Paris yesterday: we all thought we might see Karl Lagerfeld walk on water. He has certainly produced the second coming of the House of Chanel which, 20 years ago, seemed defunct.
The collection was set in a public swimming pool where you are more likely to see children learning to swim than lifeguards fishing expensively dressed models out of the water.
The audience was placed on a podium in the centre of the pool while models walked around them on a Perspex catwalk floating on the water. Girls with lips painted blue and big shampoo-and-set hairdos modelled a reprise of Chanel's signature tweeds and drop-waist shift dresses in pretty colours with large metallic leather cummerbunds slung around their hips.
The belts gave the silhouette a 1960s geometric cut, especially those suits with a trompe l'oeil beaded panel across the waist - a look rather reminiscent of Pierre Cardin of that period.
Jackets were either abbreviated at the waist over gathered skirts which looked flirty and girlish, or slim and straight over short skirts, elegantly finished with a pair of clear plastic boots with toe-caps in Coco's signature beige and black.
The classic Chanel white chiffon shirt with little tie and dark suit was given a new twist by Lagerfeld, transformed into a white shirt-collar style jacket or coat-dress worn under a filmy black chiffon overcoat.
Lagerfeld's evening wear took on a romantic charm with classic Grecian column shapes first tried by Coco in the 1930s.
Dresses fluttered with frills of gold-foil-printed chiffon, and were worn with huge tattered tulle frilled capes that came close to taking a bath in the pool as the models draped them behind.
More dramatic was the dynamic pool-blue sequin sheath dress with little Cardinesque panel at the waist. This straight silhouette that slightly tapers at the ankle will prove to be one of the key looks of this season.
There have been a few Cardin moments around the other couture shows this week, so perhaps this is the time for Pierre to consider reviving his own fortunes - since he retired from the couture catwalk a few seasons ago - and perform another fashion miracle.