Chanel Couture Opened Up Its Library With a Collection Fit For a Modern-Day Belle

Virginie Viard presented her first solo couture collection for Chanel on Tuesday morning, and it was the perfect mix of modern and heritage, celebrating the future of the label while paying a subtle homage to Karl Lagerfeld. Karl was famous for presenting his collections in extravagant settings, turning Paris's Grand Palais into a trains station, an airplane, and a supermarket to name but three.

This new era of Chanel was no less showstopping, with the iconic venue transformed into a cavernous circular library, with multiple levels of floor-to-ceiling bookcases not unlike those in Lagerfeld's own home . . . or perhaps that other famous French library, from Beauty and the Beast? The clothes were classic and feminine, with plenty of incredible evening gowns (paging Belle!), big-shouldered minidresses, and no shortage of the tweed separates that are so synonymous with the label. It felt like Chanel but with a whimsical edge: the full-skirted gowns and feathered robe are crying out for a red carpet moment. Keep reading to see some of the highlights, including new muse Kaia Gerber's walk.