Chanel Mademoiselle Prive: opening party

A whole host of fashion icons of the past and present were in attendance at the Saatchi Gallery for the opening of Mademoiselle Prive, an exhibition exploring and celebrating the charisma and creativity of both Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, and the current creative director of her eponymous house, Karl Lagerfeld.

Named for the sign that Mademoiselle Chanel would hang on the door of her atelier to prevent people from disturbing her whilst she worked, Mademoiselle Prive allows visitors a glimpse behind the pristine façade of this iconic House. Each room looks into a different aspect of Chanel’s rich heritage, from the places that inspired the designer herself to the house’s various business enterprises, from jewellery to fragrance and beyond.

For the grand opening, the Kings Road entrance to the Saatchi Gallery was transformed into a beautiful country garden, the work of British landscape designers Harry and David Rich. Inside, the party itself glittered with Chanel muses, old and new, who rubbed shoulders with brand ambassadors, trustees and friends, exploring the stylish exhibition before heading upstairs for cocktails.

Unsurprisingly, Chanel was on the menu when it came to guests’ wardrobe choices. The looks fell largely into two distinct camps: chic, feminine Chanel, or sophisticated, edgy Chanel.

On the classically feminine side, attendees stuck largely to the Chanel-esque monochrome colour palette. Cara Delevingne chose a black Chanel design with a silk bodice and tulle skirt, accessorised with a Chanel choker that bought this classic look firmly up to date.

Lily-Rose Depp also went for a silk and tulle number, lifted straight from Chanel couture’s autumn/winter 2015 collection. The icy lavender-grey hue grounded the ruffled detailing and feminine silhouette in cool sophistication.

Julianne Moore also selected a piece from the Chanel couture A/W 2015 collection, a boucle dress and jacket paired with black ankle boots that felt perhaps just a little severe for the occasion. Long-time Chanel muse, Vanessa Paradis, sparkled in a green design with a jewelled bodice, whilst Lara Stone was demure in a black tweed LBD.

Clémence Poésy, meanwhile, found the balance between contemporary styling and a vintage, gamine sensibility, pairing a black jumper with a ruffled neck with a pair of grey, high-waisted jeans and chic black lace-ups.

Singer Rita Ora also injected the sophistication of Chanel with a dose of modern edge, teaming a dramatically feathered skirt with a cropped white shirt. 

On the other end of the spectrum, the attendees shied away from the typical LBD or gown, in favour of a slightly more contemporary, androgynous approach to eveningwear. Lily Collins paired a tailored double-breasted Chanel jacket with matching culottes, whilst Georgia May Jagger looked effortlessly cool in a black leather jacket and jeans.

Edie Campbell also went for denim, but put her own mod-grunge spin on the look, pairing the distressed jeans with a structured black, embellished Chanel jacket.

Grace Cain

Mademoiselle Privé is at the Saatchi Gallery from 13^th October until 1^st November 2015, for further information visit here.