Every Chanel show is highly anticipated for many reasons, only one of which is the current collection, this time Spring/Summer 2017 ready-to-wear. The other reason is pure showmanship, courtesy of the man known as the Kaiser. This time, Karl Lagerfeld transformed the Grand Palais into a Chanel ‘Data Center’.

The Spring/Summer collection took on the theme of ‘intimate technology’, expressed as an ode to feminine softness. Yes, hard to believe but Lagerfeld made it work. Ruffles, a prominent trend of the season’s fashion weeks, was seen adorning sleek blouses. The collection’s palette included blue, red, yellow, pink, and purple, with some pastels and electric shades.

Chanel 2017 Spring/Summer ready-to-wear © PATRICK KOVARIK / AFP

Lagerfeld integrated the technology theme into Chanel’s contemporary feminine style. Delicate silk, lace and crepe georgette were juxtaposed with modern details of touch fasteners, rubber and vinyl strips alongside the house’s famous tweeds, and threads resembling electronic cables. It sounds weird (or perhaps wired) but the pictures say otherwise. Silk dresses bore digital-inspired motifs and sequins resembled electronic components. Models wore big pendant necklaces and carried futuristic robot clutches, topped with a cap worn sideways.

The Chanel DNA was still very much ‘programmed’ into the presentations. The house’s traditional tweed jackets topped off silk and lace negligees. The feminine lace was seen on shell guipure petticoats and a chic pair of silk pyjama trousers.