For the presentation of CHANEL's Fall/Winter 2014/15 Haute Couture collection, Karl Lagerfeld welcomed his guests to the Grand Palais in a décor evoking a 20th century Parisian apartment, thus orchestrating an encounter between Le Corbusier and Versailles.

From laminated lace to neoprene and concrete, Karl Lagerfeld invites new and unexpected materials into his collection, combining them with chiffon, tulle, tweed and organza to create an utterly modern silhouette. The line is structured with right-angled shoulders, corseted waists and rounded volumes created by cages over which fabrics are draped. Black and white mingles with fiery colours of red, rust and gold, as well as cooler shades of sky blue and concrete.

With “des tongs très chic” (very chic flip-flops) on their feet, the models walk the runway in little dresses with marquise volumes, shortened to the knee and worn with “cycling shorts à la française” or bloomers. The jackets and skirted frock coats are fastened with metal and concrete buttons or by staples. For evening the long empire dresses have trains; others look like clouds, frothing with feathers enclosed in tulle. Karl Lagerfeld shakes up conventions with a “seamless Haute Couture”, where the jackets and coats are made from a single piece, cut on the bias.

Playing with paradox Karl Lagerfeld turns concrete into an actual fabric, uniting it with pearl, crystal and sequin embroideries. For the first time ever concrete is embroidered, sewn, inlaid, perforated like a mesh, metamorphosed into a shirt front, a martingale belt, braiding and even clothing, for day as much as night.