Chanel Show Wrestles with Designer Void as Actor Lupita Nyong'o Talks Diversity in Fashion

A giant empty cage greeted Chanel's guests at its return to the Grand Palais on Tuesday. Though perhaps not intentionally symbolic, the décor seemed to capture the current state of the house itself: A majestic structure empty of creative direction. With Virginie Viard's recent departure, Chanel finds itself at a crossroads, as the fashion world eagerly awaits the appointment of a new creative leader.

Meanwhile, in a powerful step toward embracing diversity, Chanel announced Lupita Nyong'o as its newest ambassador. The appointment of the Oscar-winning actor, who is Kenyan Mexican, comes at a pivotal moment for the French fashion house that had faced criticism in the past for its lack of inclusivity. This move follows the widely-lauded appointment of British-Indian Leena Nair as Chanel's global chief executive in 2022, making her the only woman of color at the helm of a major luxury brand.

Here are some highlights of spring-summer ready-to-wear shows:

Chanel: Seeking a Vision Beyond the Empty Cage

The spring collection delivered many familiar elements from Chanel's vast repertoire – chiffon capes, slit skirts, embroidered transparent shirt dresses, trench coats adorned with multicolored feather prints, aviator jackets with Peter Pan collars, total pink or blue tweed looks, and the iconic little black dress that Chanel herself introduced to the world. Tweed, jersey, faille, transparent embroidery, sequins, fringe, pastel knits, and sparkling platform shoes all made an appearance, forming a showcase of the house's signatures.

Yet despite the breadth and richness of the offering, something was amiss. There was little cohesion, and at times, the collection lacked the unmistakable soul that once characterized Chanel's shows. A series of foulard-printed gowns seemed out of place – as if borrowed clumsily from another narrative altogether.

With a snip of scissors, Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel freed women from their corsets. Today, Chanel itself needs liberation. The applause at the end of the show, which featured designs that often felt uninspired, was distinctly muted, with critics visibly shifting in their seats.

Star appearances by Elvis Presley's granddaughter Riley Keough, who capped the show with a funky vocal performance of a Prince hit from inside the gilded cage, as well the starry presence of Nyong'o, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Vanessa Paradis, Margaret Qualley and Naomi Campbell, seemed like an effort to divert attention from the elephant – or the empty cage – in the room.

Chanel is unquestionably a fashion juggernaut, and it will weather this moment of transition. However, there is no overstating the importance of the decision the house now faces. Chanel must find a designer who can reshape and redefine its vision for the future. The industry is rife with speculation. Potential successors include Daniel Roseberry, known for his dramatic work at Schiaparelli, Marc Jacobs, a seasoned classicist with Paris experience, and Nadège Vanhée, the skilled designer from Hermès.

Viard, ousted this summer, succeeded Karl Lagerfeld upon his death in 2019 and was his closest collaborator for decades. She had overseen record sales for Chanel, reaching a reported $19.7 billion last year. Ready-to-wear sales reportedly increased 23% during her tenure. Viard was only the third creative director in Chanel's over 100-year history, following Lagerfeld and legendary founder Chanel herself.

Lupita Nyong'o Named Chanel Ambassador

Nyong'o shared her excitement and the deep sense of responsibility accompanying the new role. "It's a great honor," she said. "Chanel is a legacy brand with a long history. And to be the newest face of it feels monumental. I feel very, very proud and excited to take this new journey with a brand that I think is dynamic and always feminine and regal."

Nyong'o's appointment comes as a breath of fresh air in an industry criticized for lack of diversity and reluctance to change. The number of Black designers leading heritage houses remains alarmingly low – currently only Balmain's Olivier Rousteing and Louis Vuitton men's designer Pharrell Williams hold such positions in Parisian legacy brands.

For Nyong'o, joining Chanel is about more than wearing beautiful clothes – it's about contributing to a narrative shift in fashion. "The message that I bring naturally and deliberately to the role is that things have changed. And we don't want them to go back to what they once were," she said.

Nyong'o drew inspiration from watching a recent documentary about Bethann Hardison, the iconic model and activist who was at the forefront of pushing for diversity in fashion during the 1960s and 1970s. Hardison, who rose to prominence after her appearance at the historic 1973 Battle of Versailles – a groundbreaking fashion show that brought American designers into the spotlight – became one of the first high-profile Black models and an outspoken advocate for change.

"In that documentary, I was really alarmed to see how much work had been done to diversify the fashion industry, but then how much it reverted to monoculture in the following years," Nyong'o said.

Hardison's tireless efforts led to significant gains for Black models in the past, but the subsequent regression underscored how fragile those victories could be. Her fight for inclusivity in fashion serves as both a cautionary tale and a source of inspiration for Nyong'o, who now finds herself continuing Hardison's legacy.

"It took a step back, so for me that was testament to the fact that it takes consciousness. It's a conscious effort that has to be made on a daily basis and in present time. You don't fix it once and then hope it stays that way," Nyong'o added. She sees Chanel's decision to name her as an ambassador as part of a broader, deliberate declaration: "I feel like these movements that Chanel is making are part of declaring a desire to represent a more realistic world. And I'm proud to be one of those faces that is sending that message."

The importance of visibility in reshaping perceptions cannot be understated.

"When I was growing up, I didn't see myself in ads for brands like this. It resulted in me going through quite the identity crisis and feeling undervalued by the world," Nyong'o said candidly. She recounted those early days – staring at glossy magazine pages, searching for a face that mirrored her own, only to find none.