As any fashion insider can attest to, Chanel knows how to throw one hell of a soirée.
For a brand that has spent over a century perfecting the ultimate prêt-à-porter wardrobe for the contemporary jet-setting woman, whose habits include mingling in the upper echelon of société, their celebrations have become legendary.
Often boasting the whos-who of the fashion industry, the maison’s party invites are as coveted as the last drop of Chanel N°5, or the remaining quilted leather bag from your local Parisian-inspired boutiques.
But for a handful of select style savants and fashion insiders, attending a lavish luxury Chanel party was just another Tuesday night on the books.
In anticipation for the arrival of summer, Chanel transported the sights and sounds of Monaco to a private residence in Mosman overlooking the Sydney harbour to celebrate their recent Cruise collection.
Monte Carlo has become synonymous with the maison. In part thanks to the clientele who spend their summers decked out in their signature tweed and pearls poolside at the Monte-Carlo Beach Hotel, but also courtesy to Coco Chanel herself and Karl Lagerfeld’s penchant for deploying Monte Carlo as their seaside escape.
This, of course, made Monte Carlo the perfect destination for Chanel’s recent Cruise collection, with the brand’s creative director Virginie Viard contextualising the coastal city’s signature motifs, like a slot machine from the Casino de Monte-Carlo or a boiler suit found trackside at the annual grand prix.
However, it seemed that Sydney proved to be of equal sartorial inspiration, with our signature balmy evenings playing host to a select handful of friends of the house for a party rivalling that of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Truman Capote.
Australian model Gabriella Brooks looked like the picture perfect Parisian It-girl in her metallic silver balloon pants and striped crop top—or look 19, if you’re curious—while burgeoning ethereal musician opted for a mustard tweed lapel-less blazer and denim jeans.
But the evening’s pièce de résistance came in the form of an intimate serenade from Sébastien Tellier. Bathed in palm trees, the multi-instrumentalist enthralled Chanel’s guest with his signature new wave Euro synths.
For a moment, if you closed your eyes and allowed yourself to be enclosed by the breeze washing in off the coast, it almost seemed like you were right there on the sandy shore of Monte Carlo.
Chanel truly exceeded our standards of a typical Tuesday night at home, we can only hope to bring a little of the house with us to our next dinner party.
