PARIS, Oct 7, 2009 / FW/ — If you’re thinking of Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie because of the title “A Simple Life”, banish that thought. The inspiration for Chanel’s Spring 2010 collection is definitely high brow – it was inspired by Marie Antoinette’s farm.

Chanel Spring 2010

A barn as backdrop, complete with hay and the runway was literally made of farm dirt, which the models had to traverse with their clogs; it was a rustic take on the ever elegant Chanel which surprisingly brought the label one step down in terms of reachability but it also gained two steps forward of being hip and cool, thus making it a favorite even among the not-so-label-conscious Millennials.

First, let’s talk about the clothes. They were signature Chanel in terms of elegance and workmanship wherein you can see the traditional French tailoring and embroidery. Yet, it is also new with the neo-crinoline skirts, crocheted cocktail dresses and slashed-then-embroidered jeans.

Second, it is also very French with the tiaras and the hats, which are usually associated with ‘snobbish society’ something that the twenty-something of today turn their nose up to. It’s too bourgeois for them. But, this time, Karl Lagerfeld made the look covetable even for the Millennials because the look is cool, hip and very young.

And finally, the story – two young lover, a male and a female which were “rolling down the hay” in the end, not just the two of them but an extra girl added. Then Karl Lagerfeld came, who like a Director motions, as if to say cut, signaling that he was pulling all the strings all along.

Now, with British singer Lily Allen’s surprise performance that sent everyone tweeting or text messaging, it was everything that a fashion designer could ask for in the age of social media. You want the buzz to come from the audience, not from you!

And though every season a Chanel show is always lovely, this one is truly the best one that we have seen in years!

[SARA CONDE]