By all logic, Chanel should be floundering. A global juggernaut without a captain, the house has been in a state of limbo since the abrupt departure of Virginie Viard, drifting toward an uncertain horizon while awaiting the arrival of Matthieu Blazy in the fall.

Ribbons, pearls, tweed, and other house motifs were the order of the day.

Yet against all odds, inside the majestic Grand Palais, Chanel did what it has done for a century: endure. And not just endure. Dazzle.