You Will Be Layering Like Crazy Come Resort Season if Chanel Cruise 2015 Has Anything to Say About It

All Chanel shows are huge productions, especially when Karl Lagerfeld and Co. take the show on the road. For Cruise, the label headed to Dubai.

The Scene: Nothing says resort like vacationing on a private island, dripped in Chanel. It is appropriate then, that the French fashion house chose a man-made island off the coast of Dubai’s Jumeirah Beach Road as the location for its Cruise 2015 runway show. They built an oasis-like structure, made from glass with gold interlocking C accents, with a sandy floor lined with faux palm trees. Inside, guests lounged on low-lying couches, mingling with the likes of Tilda Swinton, Freida Pinto, Vanessa Paradis and Dakota Fanning. Janelle Monàe provided the entertainment, giving a lively little performance as she is wont to do. Largerfeld closed the show with little Hudson Kroenig in an all-white ensemble, looking adorable as ever.

The Inspiration: Lagerfeld told WWD this collection was an Orientalist fantasy for him, which explains those quilted petrol canister purses (more on those later).

The Look: Keeping with the traditions of the show’s location, Lagerfeld presented several layered looks this season. Tunics, skirts and dresses floated over all manner of pant silhouettes, from ruffle-flourished harem pants to skin-tight leggings. Lagerfeld did not hold back on the print this season, mixing the house’s signature tweeds with blooming florals. There was also plenty of sparkle, with several pieces covered in sequin embellishment, not to mention the generous helping of golden looks.

The Accessories: Apparently, in Lagerfeld’s Orientalist fantasy, chic women in Dubai carry around gas tanks converted into expensive purses. The quilted petrol cans were the talk of the collection, but we think the light-up footwear was more of a pleasant addition. Silvery Chanel barrettes and tiaras perched atop models’ heads. Chunky gold rope bibs and, of course, the obligatory Chanel pearls rounded out the accessories selection.

The Beauty: The beauty team kept all the drama for the eyes, giving each girl an intense smoky look, brightening up the corners with a glittering gold shade. Hair was large and in charge–models sported ‘fro like ‘dos, as well as sculpted beehive styles.

The Takeaway: Is it just us, or are some of these looks a little too similar to the rainbow paint swatch pieces the house put forth for Spring 2014? We don’t know if we can handle seeing that same motif through December/January. Also, some of the motifs in the collection were a little too literal for the inspiration (again, those petrol can shoulder bags). Would Karl do a show inspired by France and have models carrying around baguette purses? Well…maybe. Either way, it seems a little reductive for an otherwise good collection.

Click through the slideshow for some scenes from the show.

Images: Getty Images