PARIS (AP) -- Only Chanel would call its legendary Rue Cambon salon "too small" -- then rebuild it, supersized, in a palace.
On Tuesday, as the house marked 110 years of its haute couture -- a century and more of Coco Chanel's revolution in how women dress -- it blew up its atelier as a giant set inside the freshly restored Grand Palais, turning intimacy into spectacle for a nature-drenched show at Paris Couture Week.
Chanel, whose founder banished corsets and reimagined luxury as liberation, showed just how far that legacy stretches -- from the tiny salons of 1915 to its modern colossus.
It was a flex only a handful of luxury giants could pull off -- and perhaps, as one front-row guest suggested, a dazzling distraction as the fashion world counts down to the debut of Chanel's new designer Matthieu Blazy.
Penélope Cruz, Keira Knightley, Naomi Campbell, Kirsten Dunst and the house's tightest VIP circle scaled gilded steps, sweating past marble and gold, to enter the reconstructed atelier. The set by Willo Perron was classic Chanel -- intimate yet monumental, Old World yet futuristic.
"It just felt special," Campbell said, "like stepping into a memory and something completely new. There's warmth, intimacy, nostalgia. Chanel can recreate anything, and it works."
More drama unfolded on the runway. This was couture as nature fantasy, filtered through the Chanel prism. Menswear tailoring added swing to sculpted jackets and coatdresses, while mohair suits in deep greens and plums channeled autumn's hush. Bouclé tweeds mimicked sheepskin; feathers and tweed created illusionary faux fur.
Gold-sprayed wheat ears -- the house symbol of abundance -- were everywhere: stitched into flounces, embroidered on necklines, set on every guest's seat. The theme may have been country, but make no mistake: This was as close as Chanel gets to "roughing it."
Technique dazzled at every turn: jewel-buttons, embroidered florals and a finale of lamé so luminous it mimicked sunlight on harvest fields. The studio team, holding the fort after Virginie Viard's abrupt and unceremonious exit last year, anchored the show in classic codes but played with wit and lightness.
That obsessive handwork matters -- not just for tradition, but for business. Chanel is fashion's juggernaut: Privately held, the brand reported $18.7 billion in revenue for 2024, cementing its status as one of the world's most powerful luxury houses. Couture may be the crown, but its influence drives global sales in fragrance, bags and jewelry, making it the envy of rivals.
Change is always looming at Chanel. For more than 30 years, Karl Lagerfeld transformed the brand from Parisian legend to pop phenomenon, staging ever-grander spectacles at the Grand Palais. After his death in 2019, Viard, his longtime deputy, guided Chanel into a softer, more discreet era.
Now the industry is holding its breath for Blazy, a Belgian talent with stints at Margiela, Celine and most recently Bottega Veneta, where he won fans for his blend of innovation and reverence for craft.
Campbell said of Blazy, whom she knows personally: "He's focused, open-minded -- he'll bring something special."
Tuesday's show unfolded inside the Grand Palais' newly restored Salon d'Honneur, its gold and stone revealed after a 600-million-euro, multiyear restoration co-funded by Chanel. It's more than a venue; it's an advertisement of the house's power and commitment to Parisian heritage.
