Last month, while attending NYFW, I was invited to stop by the CHANEL showroom (!!!) to check out the CHANEL Haute Couture Fall 2014 collection in person. I don’t need to tell you that right after I was done pinching myself, I replied with an emphatic YASSS. I had a chance to visit the haute couture salons in Paris, and already knew that the level of craftsmanship of CHANEL couture garments is next level, so to be able to see yet another collection up-close-and-personal, sounded like a dream.

Just like in July, I was in awe of the collection. But this time around, I actually got to touch the pieces, see them in front of my eyes, and imagine that they were hanging in my wardrobe (as if!). I got to see how cool the silicone-coated lace looks, how glam concrete beads are in Karl’s imaginative hands, and just how exquisite the endless intricate embroidery on gowns, coats, and accessories is. But let’s get back to concrete. Those grey bead-like detailing is actually concrete! And surprisingly, it wasn’t as heavy as one would imagine. Sure, the shrug covered in hundreds of those beads wasn’t exactly light, but pieces that had concrete sprinkled on were perfectly manageable, and of course, stunning. Who would’ve thought?

The use of molded scuba fabric also made for some dramatic silhouettes, flattering, but never boring. I was a little sad that I didn’t get to see the puffy blue confection of a gown in person, so in its absence, the red dress blooming with small plastic flowers became the showstopper of the collection – both classic and modern at the same time, and so-very-beautiful. It’s at times like those, I find myself wishing I could live a jetsetting and glamorous life of scandal and intrigue, where CHANEL haute couture is par for the course, and parties where one gets to wear creations like the ones I saw are commonplace. I may be referring to a movie-level type of life, but one can always dream, no?

Anyway…enough of my obsessive ramblings. Check out some close-up photos I took at the showroom, and let me know if you find these as impressive as I do.

More photos after the jump! [Read more…]