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Chanel SS19 PFW Paris karl lagerfeld fashion week
Chanel SS19Photography Giacamo Cabrini

Chanel just brought the beach to Paris

Complete with sand, lapping waves, tiki beach huts, and an actual lifeguard

The end of Paris Fashion Week SS19 is nigh! Today, a season of shows draw to an end, with only the likes Louis Vuitton, Miu Miu, Anton Belinskiy left to see. First up, though, we headed to the Grand Palais, where Karl Lagerfeld had yet another fantastical Chanel set-up awaiting. Here’s everything you need to know.

THE SET WAS A BEACH

Yes, an actual beach complete with sand, waves, a sunny blue sky, and lifeguards reclining in denim cut-offs and sleeveless Chanel-branded polo shirts. Guests including Pharrell Williams and Simon Porte Jacquemus took the opportunity to snap photos for the ‘gram (#wishyouwerehere?), as music maestro Michel Gaubert took up position in a tiki-style beach shack, where he controlled the tunes.

A BUNCH OF KARL’S FAVOURITE GIRLS WALKED

Including current campaign faces Kaia Gerber and Adesuwa, Dazed cover girl Adwoa Aboah, Edie Campbell, and Vittoria Ceretti. Closing the show alongside Karl this season was his right-hand woman, Virginie Viard. Chanel’s studio director has been at his side since joining the house in 1987.

THE MODELS WERE BAREFOOT

Well, it would be tricky to navigate the sand in heels. There were shoes though – 90s see-through beach mules with big double-Cs on them, which models carried in their hands before slipping them on to pose for pictures.

LOTS OF BLING IS APPROPRIATE BEACH WEAR

Presumably the Chanel woman has a private island, so she can leave her jewellery on her sun lounger when she takes a dip. As well as raffia hats, cocktail umbrella brooches and CC barrette pins, models were laden with branded bracelets, layers of necklaces, and big earrings spelling out CHA on one ear and NEL on the other.

WEARING TWO BAGS IS A THING NOW

Not content with having one uber-covetable Chanel bag hanging from their shoulders, models hit the sand wearing a pearl and CC-encrusted harness attached to two quilted pouches which sat neatly on each hip. Forget tiny bag energy. Forget big sack energy. According to Karl, it’s all about two bag energy now.