As much as I enjoy attending them, catwalks are not the ideal. While the best of them are a spectacle to behold, when it comes to actually experiencing the clothing a catwalk does little more than breathe movement into an otherwise static garment. But all those other key attributes – its quality, how it feels, how it wears – are not communicated to those watching the catwalk each of whom get but a fleeting glimpse as each piece moves past them. Thankfully, the best of collections often communicate that much needed intimacy at a later stage; be it through their ad campaigns or their look books.
Intimacy seems to be the key to the tie-in look book for Chanel’s Haute Couture autumn / fall 2011 collection. While the catwalk itself brought a dark nostalgia to Paris’ Grand Palais, much of the feeling that the collection evoked was lost in the photos that captured the event. Not so of the look book which ultimately conveys life, movement, detail and elegance.
You can see all of the press kit / look book photos for Chanel‘s autumn / winter 2011 Haute Couture collection by clicking on the thumbnails and browsing through the gallery. Each picture was photographed by the collection’s designer, Karl Lagerfeld.
You can also see the entire Haute Couture collection on the catwalk by following that link. The difference between what each style of photo is able to communicate is a marked one.
