Designer Willo Perron has created a curving runway for the Spring-Summer 2025 show for fashion house Chanel, which took place in the newly restored Grand Palais in Paris.
The curving, white structure is composed of two large C-shaped ramps stretched out to resemble an infinity symbol and pays homage to the ‘”infinite excellence of Haute Couture”.
The show took place at the centre of the newly restored Grand Palais, which recently reopened after a significant restoration by Chatillon Architects and also served as a venue for the 2024 Olympics.
Chanel said the brand has a “long-standing” relationship with the institution.
“We have been the exclusive and long-standing patron of the Grand Palais since 2018 and in July 2024 renewed our commitment,” Chanel told Dezeen. “Chanel thus becomes the Major Patron of the Grand Palais.”
Founder of Los Angeles studio Perron-Roettinger Willo Perron designed the runway to resemble the logo of the Chanel fashion house, two Cs that are linked at the centre.
“In the centre of the Nave at the Grand Palais, the runway is formed by a double C that sketches out the infinity symbol,” said Chanel. “The infinite excellence of Haute Couture.”
The two forms rise at their centres, supported by metallic-wrapped bases, while each tail descends to touch the floor. Spectators were placed around the edges of the volumes and models ascended and descended along the centre, passing along the Palais floor.
The clothing on show featured a range of colourful materials including embroidered chiffons and the brand’s distinct tweeds as an ode to Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel’s use of colour, despite her well-known use of black.
The collection was further organised to reflect the passage of daytime to nighttime, beginning with soft pastels that blend into darker hues.
“With her radical use of black, the couturière brought about a major aesthetic revolution,” said Chanel. “Yet, she was also a great colourist.”
Chanel recently converted a Brooklyn diner into a pop-up shop, while Willo Perron worked with American design studio Sized and USM on a Los Angeles exhibition.
Dezeen named the Grand Palais as the most significant building of 2024 in the last of our 21st-Century Architecture series.
The photography is courtesy of Chanel
