Chanel caps Paris Fashion Week with swaths of iconic tweeds |

Inside the Grand Palais Ephemere on Tuesday, Chanel took guests, including Venus Williams, on a journey of discovery through the landscapes and colors of the Scottish countryside. On the last day of Paris Fashion Week, there was a tribute to tweed on the runway. It was a look at the history and beauty of the fabric that has become a symbol of Paris.The famous fabric’s name comes from the River Tweed, which flows east across the Border region in Scotland and northern England. It was this river that inspired Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, who founded the house.

Muted pinks, burgundies, blues, and purples were used for the house’s signature skirt suits and wrapped-up woolen styles. The unique weave of the textured and uneven fabric weft made them look like the colors in nature. The guests sat on seats made of tweed and held invitations made of the same pink material.

The show also taught about history. When Chanel was the mistress of the Duke of Westminster in the 1920s, she lived in Scotland and wore his jackets. Cut to look like menswear, with flat, boxy jackets that are loose and have big, retro pockets.

But even though it had good stories, this collection wasn’t always very lively. In terms of silhouette, it was too safe and didn’t seem to be taking enough risks. It also didn’t have the cheeky attitude that Lagerfeld was known for, even though there were some fun touches like chained hip flasks or black wellies with logos on them. Perhaps La