Chanel transformed the Grand Palais into an incredible train station for its Cruise 2020 show

At 9am on Thursday, May 2nd, guest arrived at the Grand Palais to view the Chanel Cruise 2020 collection to find the entire venue transformed into an incredible train station. Carriages were decked out with tables set for breakfast, waiters hovered with cheese trolleys, smoked salmon and berries. One hour later, “disembarking” past the grand station clock, guests were led into the main hall under the glass domed roof. This 240m long space is where Karl Lagerfeld used to stage his spectacular sets – everything from the Chanel supermarket to a rocket to a giant cruise liner, icebergs to beaches to Paris boulevards. Thursday morning, however, it was eerily sparse. The idea was a simple train platform, set out with nothing but wooden-slat benches and signposts reading train stops of ‘Saint Tropez’, ‘Antibes,’ ‘Rome,’ and ‘Byzance’.

The first show helmed by Virginie Viard, the director of Chanel's fashion collections, taking over from Karl Lagerfeld in February drew inspiration from old-fashioned rail travel.

Dubbed 'Destination Chanel', the Beaux-Arts style station showcased an array of modern silhouettes and ready-to-wear travel-inspired ensembles. Viard's staging and style payed tribute to the legacy kept left behind by Lagerfeld and Coco Chanel.

The evening before the show, Chanel had hosted a cocktail for the launch of its new J12 watch at its boutique on Place Vendôme. Many of the stars of the campaign a