I’ll be honest, I have never TOTALLY understood the year-round fashion calendar. This is Chanel’s latest resort collection, shown in some caverns in Provence and inspired by Jean Cocteau (also a friend of Coco’s; Virginie Viard unfortunately seems addicted to mining Coco Chanel’s life). Hamish Bowles wrote a lot of words about the inspirations and the collections, and I’ll admit my eyes crossed. Apparently the entirely black-and-white palette was inspired by what would best pop against the setting, and there are nose-rings, and some whiffs of Stella Tennant again. Some of it is fine. Some of it is frumpy. Some of it is… overalls?!? Mostly, I think Chanel struggles to make its signature tweedy aesthetic feel youthful in a way that also feels organic to it, and then other times veers into Fancy Hot Topic. What’s left is some flowers and weird sleeves. You’ll see.

[Photos: Imaxtree]