PARIS — The new Chanel woman has grown up.
She has tossed out her bouncy, flouncy, babyish spring clothes in favor of a chic, sophisticated fall wardrobe of slender suits and flowing trousers in sober shades of navy and gray.
Instead of petticoats and ruffles, she likes crisp, neat tailoring and a long, narrow silhouette.
She piles on accessories - cascades of gold chains, pearl chokers, huge dangly earrings - and has substituted a sprig of violets for the trademark Chanel camellia.
"Why not violets? We've had enough of camellias," quipped Karl Lagerfeld as fans clamored backstage to congratulate him yesterday after his beautiful fall ready-to-wear show for Chanel.
Although the clothes are calmer and more classic, they are by no means
dull. The irreverent, iconoclastic Lagerfeld is far too talented and
innovative a designer simply to serve up a rerun of Chanel's greatest hits.
To that end, he tossed long swirly capes over cardigan suits, put stretch lace sleeves on plaid wool jackets and paired sexy, tightly wrapped tops with wide cuffed pants.
Lagerfeld has lowered his hemlines. He had to - they couldn't get any higher than his thigh-high spring lengths.
His fall skirts either rise slightly above the knee or drop to mid-calf. Both lengths look good, although, if truth be told, the shorter styles are younger and snappier.
The classic Chanel cardigan, which in recent seasons either shrank to a bolero or disappeared entirely, is back. This time, it's very, very snug and is either cropped at the waist or curves over the hips. Double rows of gold buttons are the favorite decoration, although floral embroidery trim - violets or edelweiss - has been added for evening.
Pants are a big theme for fall. They're wide and flowing and are often shown with fitted blazers, white-silk shirts and men's ties. It's the sort of chic, mannish look that Marlene Dietrich has always adored.
Lagerfeld's witty new accessories include dangly earrings resembling miniature Chanel shopping bags; a collar consisting of a dozen gold chains and a small quilted velvet evening purse with a stiff, gold-chain handle.
Instead of the much-copied No. 5 T-shirt, Lagerfeld offered a black-and- white striped cashmere turtleneck with a huge 5 emblazoned across the front.
The prettiest evening clothes are frothy black-chiffon dresses with crushed-velvet bodices, and, on a sportier note, long, creamy cashmere skirts worn with matching cableknit sweaters and ropes and ropes of pearls.
