Modern Hearts: Chanel Spring 2014 Couture

When you hear the word couture, you probably think, "Gowns, exquisite craftsmanship, wealth, art." Couture isn't meant to be worn, really. At least that's what I've come to understand. The clothes are so outrageous and so fanciful that they transcend everyday life and that is indeed their purpose. The only people who could possibly wear these dresses are celebrities who are given these gowns on loan, or possibly a billionaire's wife. Maybe.

So why on earth did Karl Lagerfeld place his futuristic fairy models in tennis shoes of all things?

No doubt the Creative Director of Chanel was inspired by the style on the streets; sneakers are the new ballet flat, apparently (and probably better for your arches) and bloggers and editors alike have taken to pairing their Nikes with their Nina Riccis.

But Lagerfeld took the high-fashion sneaker trend to the next level by constructing shoes of the same fabrics of the dresses for the collection. A snow white twinkling tweed two-piece was matched ever-so-perfectly by a white tweed tennis shoe. I must admit, the concept is pretty genius. You must applaud Karl for taking a pretty popular street wear trend and pushing it to the sartorial limits in his fantastic couture collection.

The accessibility of the collection extended beyond footwear, however. Spritely models took laid-back strides around the Grand Palais in skirts that moved and flowed with them, with hands in functional pockets and shoulders held back, not stiffly but comfortably. Despite what the price tag will inevitably read, I see these clothes and can actually envision myself wearing them - not just to a gala at the Met or the Oscars, but walking around town with (very fashionable) friends.

That's not to say that the collection lacked on all the hand-sewn extravagances that make couture what it is - on the contrary, the handiwork at Chanel is some of the finest I've ever seen. There was an effervescent quality to the garments that were presented today, as if the cloth was created from droplets of water suspended in mid-air, or from millions of tiny diamonds. The clothes were brilliant even by Chanel standards, and it was the type of collection that made me smile as I flipped through looks.

And it wasn't all stuffy ball gowns and impossible designs. These are real clothes made up in fascinatingly intricate detail, but the mere possibility of wearing these clothes is tantalizing. These ensembles are pure fantasy, but an attainable one.