Not long before designing the iconic tweed suits and developing the No. 5 fragrance, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel opened her second boutique on the seaside town, selling simplistic yet elegant jersey sportswear meant to be comfortable, initiating the epoch of inhabitable luxury.

One hundred and eleven years later, Creative Director Virginie Viard references this page in the French fashion house’s archive to inspire her Fall/Winter 2024 collection, filled with a coastal aesthetic echoed by an autumn holiday at a Parisian resort. An accompanying film in homage to Claude Lelouch’s A Man and a Woman, directed by photographic duo Inez & Vinoodh, stars V all-stars Brad Pitt and V‘s recent cover star Penélope Cruz, capturing the beginning of a love story in Deauville—synchronized with the collection.

Romantically setting the scene at the Grand Palais Éphémère in Paris, the collection tells a story, cinematically decorated with the Deauville boardwalk recreated for the runway and finished with screens that illustrate the show from dawn until dusk. Much like the beginnings of the label, the collection fuses duality within feminine and masculine elements, inspired by Gabrielle Chanel’s armoire.

Outerwear is offered in broad-shouldered peacoats, belted dressing-gown-style coats that are layered over definitive tweed getups, bulged-up puffers, and shearling-lined jackets. Bottoms range from box-pleated skirts, culottes, and cropped denim trousers with a summertime-approved luster. Hollywood glamour-silhouettes from the 1920s and ’70s can be spotted on wide-collared silk blouses and nostalgic pleated frocks, adding further theatrical flair.

Sailor silhouettes are incorporated in chunky sweaters and low-cut tops, reminiscent of Deauville’s maritime charisma. Classic CHANEL staples are more relaxed, designed for a nautical night on the town rather than a grandiloquent occasion. Contrarily, dressed-up motifs can be spotted in sheer turtleneck dresses and pearl-encrusted tweed ensembles, tossing in a bit of modern elegance into timeless CHANEL staples.

Textiles meander from leathers to beachfront-approved satins, wistful tulles, and cozy knits to keep warm in the windy oceanside weather. Checks, chevrons, stripes, and dainty floral appliqués can be seen printed on looks. The color palette is splashed with sunset hues of peach, pale pink, sunshine yellow, purples, oranges, sandy shades of cognac, rusts, and browns, oceanic blue, seashell white, navy, black, and grey.

CHANEL’s ever-iconic flap bags take center stage in fresh coral and peach tones, along with a winterized shearling iteration. The Top Handle bag is also offered, along with chic envelope clutches. Layered necklaces, “C’ logo accessories, and thick bangles accentuate looks, while sleek pearl-drop earrings pump up the romance effect, and boots are chunked up and sheathed in leather and downy suedes.

One of the spotlighted facets in the newest collection is through gloves and headwear, with colorful wide-brimmed beach hats adorned with brooches, tweed newsboy caps, and scrunched-up gloves in confectionery coatings.

One of Viards most satisfactory collections for the French label, CHANEL Fall/Winter 2024 conveyed style at its finest, bringing seaside enchantment straight to the catwalk.