Cara Delevingne Comes Out of Runway Retirement for Chanel—and 7 Other Things to Know

Cara Delevingne - Chanel Collection des Metiers d'Art 2016/17 - December 6, 2016
Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty

Nope, not a far-flung location. Not the Grand Palais made over into an otherworldly Chanel dimension (past themes: an airport terminal, a grocery store, a casino), either. But the significance of staging the Chanel Metiers d'Art 2017 show at the newly renovated Ritz Paris was definitely not lost on anyone. It presented a full-circle moment, as the hotel was where designer Coco Chanel herself took up residence for 30-something years. And after seasons of looking outwards for design inspiration, this collection drew from the brand's core DNA, with references to Coco and the City of Lights. #ParisCosmopolite, indeed. From the buzzy model line-up to the stars sitting in the front row, scroll through for a play-by-play of what went down at the Chanel-inspired Chanel pre-fall 2017 show.

1. Lagerfeld staged the Chanel Metiers d'Art 2017 show at Ritz Paris (newly opened after four years of renovations), the location where Coco Chanel resided for more than 30 years.

2. After saying goodbye to modeling last year, forever muse Cara Delevingne came out of runway retirement for Chanel. She walked twice: Once to open the show in an ivory floral-decorated tweed skirt set and then again to close it in a gold-embroidered black tweed jacket shrugged over a gold-flecked black tulle dress.

3. Pharrell joined the buzzy model line-up in a sophisticated navy tweed jacket topped with a headpiece that had us, quite frankly, puzzled.

4. After seasons of fronting Chanel's campaigns and sitting front row, this marked fashion darling Lily-Rose Depp's runway debut.

5. Nicole Richie's younger sister Sofia walked, too.

6. There were stars both on and off the runway: Jaden Smith and Rowan Blanchard were among the celebrities in the audience.

7. The collection served as a style tribute to the City of Lights, with a line-up brimming with signature tweeds and Eiffel Tower motifs.

8. As for the hair, stylist Sam McKnight topped the heads of each model with rose-strewn crowns.

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