Chanel’s Couture Brides Throughout History, From Margaret Qualley to Linda Evangelista
Every Chanel haute couture show closes with a celebrity, model, or super in a hand-crafted wedding gown. Nineties vets Claudia Schiffer, Devon Aoki, and Linda Evangelista were some of the first to land the coveted position, but in the years before his passing, Karl Lagerfeld made a point to close out the shows with modern muses like Kendall Jenner and Lily-Rose Depp. His successor, Virginie Viard, tapped one of Lagerfeld’s most recent alums for her haute couture debut, but quickly changed things up the next season. Instead of a gown, fall 2019 found Vittoria Ceretti in what resembled a chic pair of bridal pajamas. (You have to give Viard some credit for her foresight; it was just around the time Zoë Kravitz attended her rehearsal dinner in a pair of bridal bike shorts.) From Lagerfeld’s OGs to Viard’s up-and-comers, plus the actor Margaret Qualley, take a look back at the house’s illustrious bridal past.
Karl Lagerfeld toted his then-signature fan when he joined Claudia Schiffer, wearing a pearl-encrusted crucifix, at the Chanel couture fall 1991 show.
He and Schiffer had so much fun, they did it again for the Chanel couture fall 1992.
Lagerfeld covered his muse with lace for Chanel couture fall 1993.
And let her go scantily clad and solo for the Chanel Couture spring 1993 collection.
Schiffer did her best showgirl impression at the Chanel couture spring 1994 show.
Devon Aoki brought a punk twist to the Chanel couture fall 1999 show in a voluminous cape—and cemented her muse status in the process.
Aoki returned with a feathery twist for Chanel couture spring 2000.
And again for Chanel Couture fall 2000.
Two models are better than one—a lesson Lagerfeld took to heart at the Chanel couture fall 2001 show.
Linda Evangelista provided ample arm candy at the Chanel Couture fall 2003 show.
A cape-clad Alek Wek stole the show at the Chanel couture fall 2004.
A bouquet of flowers was the perfect accessory at the Chanel couture fall 2005 show.
As ankle boots were at the Chanel couture spring 2006 show.
Irina Lazareanu’s boots were a bit higher at the Chanel couture fall 2006 show.
The Chanel couture fall 2007 bride paired sunglasses with head-to-toe lace.
Next season’s unexpected accessory, on Raquel Zimmermann, was a bonnet.
Devon Aoki was pregnant when she returned to the runway for Chanel couture spring 2008.
Lagerfeld covered Sasha Pivovarova in ruffles for Chanel couture fall 2008.
Lagerfeld muse Baptiste Giabiconi accompanied Lara Stone down the aisle of the Chanel couture fall 2009 show.
And Abbey Lee Kershaw at the Chanel couture spring 2010 show.
Baptiste Giabiconi, the eternal groom, brought a lion head along for the ride at the Chanel couture fall 2010 show.
Lindsey Wixson marched solo at the Chanel couture fall 2012 show.
Erin Wasson made sure to credit the Kaiser for her magnificent Chanel couture fall 2013 gown.
The next season, so did Kendall Jenner—with a kiss.
Burgeoning Lagerfeld muse Lily-Rose Depp made her Chanel couture debut in pink.
Hudson Kroenig accompanied Luna Bijl for Chanel couture spring 2018.
Fall 2018’s couture show saw 18-year-old Adut Akech join Alek Wek as one of the rare Black brides in Chanel’s history, as well as link hands with not only Kroenig but also his younger bro, Jameson.
She may have had to take her bow sans Karl, but Vittoria Ceretti still managed to steal the show at Chanel’s spring 2019 couture show, thanks to the sparkly sequined swimsuit and bathing cap that accompanied her requisite massive veil.
Vittoria Ceretti returned to the runway as the bride for Chanel’s first couture show without Karl Lagerfeld in decades, which also marked Viard’s couture debut. This time, Ceretti also kept things casual: She wore a silky pale pink ensemble that bore a resemblance to a (very chic) pair of pajamas.
Rebecca Leigh Longendyke has proven a favorite of Viard’s; she also closed Chanel’s spring 2021 ready-to-wear show and opened spring 2021 haute couture.
Viard imagined a more casual country wedding for Lola Nicon, who joined a smaller cast of models for the house’s return to the Grand Palais.
Chanel ambassador Margaret Qualley closed out the fall 2021 show by throwing the bouquet over her head with excellent aim: It soared smoothly into the hands of editor Laura Brown.
Viard kept it classic for spring 2022 couture—at least finale-wise. The real excitement took place well before Vivienne Rohner surfaced in bridal-wear, with Grace Kelly’s equestrian granddaughter, Charlotte Casiraghi, going for a trot on the runway atop a real live horse.
Jill Kortleven closed the fall 2022 show in strapless dress featuring a shawl wrapped around her shoulders and a bow perched on the top of her head. While still more classically bridal than some of Viard’s past interpretations, the look echoed the themes of ease and comfort highlighted throughout the rest of the presentation.
A golden-footed Anna Ewers emerged from a wooden elephant at the conclusion of the spring/summer 2023 show, showing off a short, sparrow-covered dress and the unexpected accessory that littered the rest of the presentation as well—a bowtie.
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