Karl Lagerfeld takes Chanel on a nature trail in Paris

Designer’s chic spring collection was presented on an eco-themed runway complete with blue sky and trees in full leaf

At Chanel, the show starts long before the clothes appear. Karl Lagerfeld’s overture began a few days ahead of this collection with the show tickets: simple slabs of eco-friendly plywood looking nothing like haute couture’s traditional beribboned and gold-embossed invitations.

Once inside the Grand Palais on the day of the show, guests found themselves transported from the leaden skies and frenetic streets of Paris to a blissed-out, spa-like stage set, with a painted blue sky lit by floodlights and a backdrop of trees in full leaf. A minimalist pavilion in slatted wood sat in the centre of a lawn edged by paths picked out in yet more pale wood.