Chanel Cruise 2010/2011 – St. Tropez

Having conquered New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Venice, on Tuesday night Karl Lagerfeld commandeered a small port in the Var region of St. Tropez to host Chanel’s 2010-2011 Cruise collection. At dusk, guests were escorted to red lacquered tables at the iconic Café Sénéquier, mingling with Diane Kruger, Vanessa Paradis and Anna Mouglalis.

Opening the collection, models basking in sun and sea arrive in mahogany boats to walk joyfully along the port, looking for a table on the terrace. With micro-minis, high-waisted dresses and light blouses, Lagerfeld brought to life his idea of St. Tropez today. While punctuated with black and white, color was everywhere: amber browns, absinthe and mint greens, sky and navy blues and bright pinks appeared in block-colors as well as in prints. Light little dresses were presented with infinite different proportions–some showed knees and others flirted with ankles, a play on seduction at any hour of the day with delicately sequined ruffles, tweeded gossamer and fringed chiffon.

A pastel palette mixed with brights in cotton silhouettes with lightly flared pants and pleated blouses worn with large belts. Jeans remained an essential piece–whether colored or washed, crystal-studded or fringed, they were worn as a second skin. Beachy dresses, frilled bikinis and little sweaters with short sleeves have touches of vichy prints. Tweed jackets and cardigans were worn with chiffon blouses, and the famous Chanel suit saw another reinterpretation. Embroidered, trimmed and chiné, tweed was this time worn with bare legs walking in low heels or gold leather Grecian sandals.

Accessories exuded the same freedom. Leather sandals in electric colors, bags and totes in patchwork or vichy tweed, and pearl belts brought a fabulous sparkling allure to balmy nights.

Casual-chic looks, meanwhile, were fashioned in suede and decorated with embroideries and with diamond-shaped stitching, while knitwear makes a sensation with black, white, pink and multicolored stripes are decorated with trim or mixed with guipure. For the beach, cage dresses worn over swimsuits suggested a silhouette that is all about seduction.