Chanel Hauté Couture Autumn 2010

 Karl Lagerfeld’s monument of a Lion which stood center stage for the Chanel Hauté Couture show encapsulated the shows underlying theme of fierceness. There was an evident medieval theme - from the grand embellishment to the imperial jewel tones and strong silhouettes throughout. Coats took up almost the first half of the collection - many of them in deep royal colours such as a ruby red, some with double breasted, Russian inspired buttoning, while others were kept quite minimal such as an army themed two piece which was decorated only with outer pockets - the tweed fabric left unfinished gave off a sense of ruggedness.

These minimalist pieces provided balance with the embellished, embroidered and fur adorned pieces which were at the height of opulence. One of the most lavish pieces of the night was modelled towards the end of the show - worn by Freja Beha Erichsen. Freja wore a sequin blue and gold dress with enlarged shoulders - the look was royal, historic and rich.

To end the show, a well polished Baptiste Giabiconi and Iris Strubegger brought out a faux lion head - ending the show on an ferocious note.