Karl Lagerfeld just launched a rocket at the Chanel show

You can always count on Chanel to have an amazing set. From glaciers shipped in from the Arctic to elaborate supermarkets with Chanel own brand everything, Karl Lagerfeld’s imagination has known no bounds – and this season may be his most elaborate setup to date. Making good on the invitation’s embossed hint, AW17 saw the introduction of the Chanel Rocket, complete with actual lift off sequence – perhaps the brand’s most show-stopping moment yet. 

Of course, this moment was soundtracked by Elton John’s “Rocket Man” (who could really resist that opportunity?), but it followed a show that also incorporated music from the likes of Kraftwerk and Daft Punk. The space references were pretty obvious in the clothes themselves though, with foiled silver cropping up throughout and big 60s hair that recalled the Space Race era. 

In 2017 obsession comes in the form of ceaseless Instagramming, and like the other sets before, the Chanel Rocket was the focus of this even as it lay dormant. Guests including Pharrell, Skepta, Cara Delevigne and Lily-Rose Depp were snapping away on their phones. Never one to do things by halves though, Karl was clearly not content with having the rocket just standing there, and in a pyrotechnical engineering feat, closed the show with a simulated rocket launching. We’re not sure how he’s going to top this one, but knowing Karl he’ll find a way.