Chanel models parade past Paris waterfalls

PARIS - 5 October 2017: Karl Lagerfeld brought the drama of the natural world indoors for Chanel’s catwalk show on the final day of Paris Fashion Week, with a huge cliff complete with waterfall towering behind the catwalk.

Held inside the beaux-arts-style Grand Palais exhibition hall, Chanel unveiled its spring/summer 2018 ready-to-wear collection to a crowd including “Spectre” star Monica Bellucci and Chinese actress Baihe Bai.

The models came equipped for the perils of such an unconventional setting - many sporting thigh-high, clear plastic rain boots as well as plastic hats, ponchos and gloves as they strode past the waterfall which flowed beside the catwalk.

The collection also featured examples of the label’s traditional tweed suits, as well as 1960s-inflected miniskirts, transparent skirts, oversize trousers and ruffled lace dresses.

Model-of-the-moment Kaia Gerber, the 16-year-old daughter of supermodel Cindy Crawford opened the show, continuing her run of high-profile appearances, sporting a loose-fitting, tassled jacket with a miniskirt and a tube top, accented with plastic boots.

Earlier in the week she appeared in both the Yves Saint Laurent and Valentino catwalk shows.

Underscoring the fashion house’s attempts to connect with customers in Asia, social media was abuzz with the presence of South Korean celebrities at the show, in the form of rapper G-Dragon and actress Park Shin-hye.

More than 80 fashion houses have showcased looks for next year during the course of this Paris Fashion Week, which closes the latest season of shows that have whizzed through New York, London and Milan.