Fashion, Survival, Salvation, and Redemption: What Chanel’s Ready-to-Wear Show Revealed About Humanity
I recently read an article about Riley Keough performing Prince’s “When Doves Cry” during Chanel’s Spring 2025 Ready-to-Wear fashion show in Paris this week. Lifestyles of the rich and famous aside, I’ve always loved the artistic expression of fashion and have honed my sewing and design skills to an intermediate level so I can create the clothing I desire. However, due to rising economic pressures, I’ve had to prioritize survival over my indulgent interests.
Despite being strapped for time and money, I manage to pursue one or two creative endeavors that I fit in at the end of the day and on weekends. Lately, I’ve taken up screenwriting as a new artistic outlet, which is a departure from my usual focus on writing and publishing poetry. Screenwriting provides instant gratification in storytelling without the need for years of manuscript writing and solitary confinement required for creating a novel. One of the scripts I’m working on is based on the life of Elvis Presley, and that’s why an article on his granddaughter, Riley Keough, caught my interest. I’m eagerly anticipating the release of Lisa Marie’s book “From Here to the Great Unknown,” which is set to be released on October 8th.
What surprised me about Chanel’s fashion show was the set design. Riley and a dozen or so models walked through a giant white bird cage, a tribute to the late Coco Chanel’s birdcage in her apartment and the central prop used in the 1991 Chanel commercial featuring Vanessa Paradis. Riley’s soft and measured performance was in contrast to Prince’s gritty, grief-ridden love song as she entered the Grand Palais in Paris in a classic Chanel button-down jumpsuit draped in a black chiffon cape. Once in the cage, she was lifted on a swing and perched high above the crowd of fashion icons and celebrities. Instead of watching this spectacle with some amusement and slight disdain given the current state of our world, I saw irony and a deeper layer of meaning. I know it’s just a fashion show, but you must understand that two months ago I wrote a scene in my script that goes like this:
E rises from the edge of his bed and heads to the ensuite. The bathroom vanity is carefully laid out with everything he needs to prepare for the night. He undresses and looks at himself in the mirror. He strokes his chin and looks down at his swollen belly. He shakes his head and laughs.
E
Boy! What in God’s name has happened to you?
E washes up and puts on a dressing gown. There is a knock at the door.
RICKY
E, you in there? Are you ready for me?
E
Yeah, come on in brother.
Ricky opens the door and prepares to wash E’s hair.
E
Ricky, do you believe God forgives us for all our sins?
RICKY
I think he does. We’ve been talkin’ about this for years.
E
I, uh, I just needed to hear you say it.
E dips his head under the sink faucet. Ricky scrubs E’s scalp, rinses his hair, then wraps his head in a towel. E stands up straight, dries his hair, then rests in a bathroom chair.
E
I can’t keep goin’ like this. I feel like I’m losin’ my mind sometimes.
RICKY
Yeah, E. It’s been a fast ride.
E
Look at me! I’m fuckin’ fat! I’ve been in this Vegas hotel room far too long, man! I’m startin’ to blend in with the furniture. That Colonel got me like a bird in a cage. I’m chirpin’ for my supper.
RICKY
What you thinkin’ you’ll do?
E
I’m gonna get my dreams back. I’m gonna do things different. I have some ideas and I’m talkin’ to some people on the outside, you know; people who’ll take me where I want to go, like Binder did. I shoulda listened to ’em back then. I was too proud, too sure of myself. I was a fool! Momma told me that Colonel was takin’ me to the devil’s doorstep. He’s straight on my back now smilin’ at me, but he ain’t winnin’.
Ricky notices E’s glassy eyes in the mirror as he smooths E’s hair out.
RICKY
Well… that sounds like a good plan. God always shows us the way. We just gotta take the righteous path.
E
That’s right, Ricky!
E stands up and prepares to dress. Ricky hands E his jumpsuit and helps him dress.
E
Now, I gotta focus on the show t’night.
RICKY
I’ll leave you to it brother.
E
I’m glad we’re brothers.
E winks and smiles at Ricky as Ricky exists the bathroom.
RICKY
I’ll see you later. I love you, man.
E turns to the mirror and inspects his jumpsuit. He taps his fingers on the sink and twitches his leg. He takes a long look in the mirror. His eyes are tired and swollen. He rubs his face and strokes his chin.
E
Listen you bastard! Just hang in there. The Lord has something in store for you.
E looks up and prays. A moment later, E’s manager Joe, a tall, well-dressed, smooth-talkin’ man from Chicago opens the door.
JOE
E, it’s showtime.
E nods his head and exists the bathroom with Joe. Strauss’ Sprach Zarathustra plays.
FADE TO BLACK.
The scene takes place in Las Vegas in 1975, where Elvis compares his life to a bird in a cage chirping for his supper. In the mid-70s, Elvis was deeply addicted to prescription medication, a predicament that also led to Prince’s untimely death in 2016. Both were unique icons who changed the world of music and entertainment, but they were trapped in a bubble, consumed by their decadent surroundings, and seeking an escape.
Elvis longed for a life free from the constraints that had made him rich but also enslaved him. He was stuck in a cycle of repetitive shows to please his fans and support his staff, which took a toll on his health. Prince’s demise is surrounded by controversy, but the death of his seven-day-old son and failed romantic relationships may have contributed to his descent into addiction to ease his pain.
We all tend to give in to unhealthy habits when we fail to realize that our sacrifices are not for our own egos or the egos of others, but for the greater good of our well-being and the well-being of others. I observed that in many of Elvis’ performances during the 1970s, he spent a lot of time on stage looking down at his fans or over to his bandmates. It was in his final performance before he died that he looked up to something beyond himself. I believe this was his plea for salvation and the redemption of his sins.
Prince attempted to release himself from his chains by changing his name, but his efforts were placed in the material realm of contractual agreements and legal diversions, not a call to the divine to free him from the darkness within. I wonder if my fears of being trapped in an elevator aligns with the symbolism of Prince’s death in an elevator. Some might say this is a stretch of the imagination, but the connection has been made.
The symphony “Also Sprach Zarathustra” translates to “Thus Spoke Zarathustra.” The music was inspired by a book by Friedrich Nietzsche, also of the same title, written between 1883 and 1885. Nietzsche’s book outlines the evolution of human thought and progress from a society in service to the divine to a society that turns to scientific dogma and materialism for answers. Our interactions with the material world is an essential part of our evolutionary progress, yet Nietzsche claims materialistic thinking leads to nihilism and tyranny if not supported by a fundamental value structure traditionally found in religious practice or in a continuous relationship with the divine.
We are living in an era where materialism has reached a precipice. We see the consequences of our greed, ignorance, and immoral actions due to our worship of the material. We are essentially in a war between the divine spirit and human will, a constant struggle between good and evil.
Without guidance from a higher power, humanity is inclined towards actions that lead to sin. It seems that we have lost our way in our quest for earthly powers that supersede our divinity. Although Nietzsche predicts the death of God in his book, it’s more accurate to say that our ascendence to a higher spiritual evolution rooted in truth and righteousness is being manipulated and corrupted by lies and deceit. If we do not see our value as individuals and collectively, we fall prey to nefarious entities that hunger for dominance and destruction.
Perhaps Elvis understood the irony of his situation when he chose Strauss’ “Sprach Zarathustra” as the opening music for his 1970s shows. Maybe Riley is conveying a hidden meaning through Chanel, unbeknownst to her and her audience.
S. Angell is a published poet, writer, philosopher, and video blogger. She explores various topics, including love, life, death, history, and society from a philosophical perspective. You can find her on Instagram @rainydaypoetess
