An "Innocent Collection"

The Chanel Spring/Summer 2009 Haute Couture collection, recently unveiled, marks an epoch not only for Chanel but for the entire world of haute couture.
"In times of hardship like these, I find myself increasingly inspired to create something new on a blank white page," Karl Lagerfeld calls this season the "innocent collection." It also signals the end of an era of excessive ostentation.
Yet, a Chanel collection would never be defined by austerity.

To marry the inherent nobility of traditional materials like tweed, taffeta, organza, and silk satin with the delicate beauty of thin paper—this was the challenge Lagerfeld set for himself. "Paper is my favorite material on earth. It's the starting point for drawings and the final destination for photographs. Paper possesses something physical that words cannot convey."

The couturiers' work, then, was dedicated to imbuing an apparently pure finish with an abundance of luxury.
Embroidery, goldsmithing, featherwork—the traditional French artisanal crafts that underpin haute couture. To preserve and foster these precious traditions and expertise, Chanel brought seven ateliers under the umbrella of "Metier D'art." This decisive move has been widely lauded.

For this collection, the requirement to render delicate tweeds and braids with a paper-like texture and extreme simplicity presented an even greater challenge than usual for these artisans, but the results, naturally, are of the highest caliber.

OPENERS explores this exceptional collection through various facets: Karl Lagerfeld's own words, rare fitting sessions, the backstage buzz of laughing models, the dresses on the runway adorned with delicate white paper cascading like a waterfall, and the work of the couturiers who bring it all to life.