Naomi Campbell dons Chanel’s new boyish style on the front row
The British supermodel showcased the fashion house’s style shift.
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Louise Thomas
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Naomi Campbell was seen on the front row of Chanel’s Paris Fashion Week show sporting the label’s latest style direction – clad in a sharp, boyish tweed suit, with her hair styled in a sleek Twenties bob.
The 54-year-old supermodel channelled the label’s new fashion objective: combining refined femininity with former creative director Karl Lagerfeld’s lean and youthful legacy.
Chanel’s spring/summer 2025 show was designed by the studio, following creative director Virginie Viard’s exit in June – of whom the fashion house are still to replace.
When the late Karl Lagerfeld took over Chanel in 1983, he reinvented Coco Chanel’s iconic but dated tweed by introducing more playful avant-garde elements, such as the trompe-l’œil effect, which modernised the print through houndstooth patterning.
The latest collection echoed elements of Lagerfeld’s playfulness, with its opulent palette, denim jumpsuits and twists on traditional Chanel motifs.
Following Lagerfeld’s death in 2019, Virginie Viard, who worked closely with him for many years, became the label’s artistic director. Viard honoured Chanel’s heritage, straying slightly from Lagerfeld’s luxe and boyish approach, instead prioritising lightness, prettiness and girly frivolity.
This collection sewed the two artistic visions together: displaying both a feminine flair and roguish charm within each ensemble – from frilled denim to diamante jeans.
“Nothing is more beautiful than freedom of the body,” said Coco Chanel. This show took the founder’s words as inspiration, offering an array of sheer gowns, cropped capes and cinched jackets, exposing the striking silhouette of each model.
The show took place within the the iconic Nave of the Grand Palais museum in Paris, where today, the entrance bears the name of Gabrielle Chanel.
The glass dome featured a giant white bird cage and rope swings, which paid homage to Chanel’s infamous 1991 commercial featuring French model Vanessa Paradis.
The catwalk itself modernised classic Chanel motifs, such as turning the two-toned pump into platform sneakers.
Victoria’s Secret model Stella Maxwell wore an angular set of spectacles adorned with pluming white feathers, as Chanel married modern masculine accents with its innately feminine heritage.
The collection featured drop-waist suit dresses and feathered slip dresses, harking back to Chanel’s flapper-girl heydays.
The show honoured the label’s bold but feminine legacy: chunky leather belts and hefty silver bangles were balanced with sheer organza capes and baby blue tweed.
The collection blended the 1920s and 2020s with modern takes on classic designs, seeming to embody Coco Chanel’s words, “Fashion passes; style remains.”
Joining Campbell on the front row was model and singer Lennon Gallagher, and Chanel’s new brand ambassador, actor Lupita Nyong’o.
Nyong’o, 41, wore a houndstooth jacket and dark square shades, mirroring the late Karl Lagerfeld.
Actress Margaret Qualley, tennis star Maria Sharapova and actor Nathalie Emmanuel were also in attendance.
Qualley, 29, wore a white tweed Chanel two-piece adorned with classic camellia motifs.
Sharapova, 37, wore a sleek black trench, with black suit trousers and pointed pearl pumps: reminiscent of the founder’s pared-back and boyish style.
Emmanuel, 35, wore a white tweed slip dress echoing the pattern of a contemporary hoodie, which featured a multi-coloured kangaroo pocket. Her ensemble was a perfect display of where the heritage brand is heading.