WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 2017

l if e st yleF A S H I O N

Chanel rocketed into space yesterday at Paris FashionWeek in an interstellar-themed show spectacular thatsaw designer Karl Lagerfeld reach for the stars - and a

star-filled front row. Meanwhile, Rihanna stunned crowds in astandout citrus lime coat after her Fenty X Puma collection.The theme this season for the singer-turned-fashion designerwas Fenty University - and ushered in styles of school-girl-gone-bad. Here are the highlights:

Chanel's Apollo no. 5Pharrell Williams, Cara Delevingne and Lily-Rose Depp

delighted as Lagerfeld pressed the "ignition" button that sawa gargantuan Chanel "Space Agency" rocket take off inside theGrand Palais. It was a return to form for Lagerfeld yesterday,who explored space-infused styles in a fresh-feeling collectionthat was the 83-year-old's best in seasons.

A round, raised-collar defined the chic aesthetic on skirt-suit styles - evoking a space-helmet neckline while sparklingsilver boots merged the utilitarian astronaut-look with a chicChanel signature - the square black toe. Lagerfeld really hadsome fun - adorning models with huge reflective, heat-resis-tant shawl-blankets as they strutted around the giant ceiling-high space shuttle installation that at one point pumped outsmoke. It was Paris Fashion's Apollo No. 5.

Rihanna goes back to schoolMoving on from her more saccharine, historic Marie

Antoinette looks last season, the nascent 29-year-old designerdeveloped a little - going back to college in the scholasticMonday night show. On-trend oversize nerdy glasses, longflappy scarves, huge preppy sweaters, pleated skirts, lycrashorts and sports team uniforms were imagined in orangemaroon, apple green, bright yellow and dark blue.

Caps were emblazoned with an "F," denoting the Barbadianstar's middle name of Fenty. As is the now the Rihanna signa-ture, many of the looks were given a sexual, edgy twist - hereseen in exposed midriffs, flesh-baring shorts and one knitsports crop top with breasts exposed at the bottom.

Thigh-high laced-up baseball boots, in blue, yellow andwhite added a dose of fetishistic, school-girl provocation.

Rihanna has shown critics that she's growing as a design-er with this, more thoughtful collection. But it hasn't con-vinced everyone. One Twitter observer suggested the starnot quit her day job, acerbically commenting: "Please Don'tStop The Music."

Chanel rockets to space in Paris, Rihanna's back to school

Models walk the runway during the presentation ofcreations for Chanel during the women's Fall-Winter2017-2018 ready-to-wear collection fashion show at

the Grand Palais in Paris yesterday.

German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld appears after Chanel's Fall-Winter 2017/2018 ready-to-wear fashion collectionpresented in Paris.

Barbadian singer Rihanna is applauded by English fashion model Cara Delevingne, left, during Rihanna's FentyCollection from PUMA women's Fall-Winter 2017-2018 ready-to-wear collection fashion show at the Salle Labrouste" ofthe Richelieu-Louvois Library in Paris.

Models present Rihanna's Fenty Collection from PUMA during the women's Fall-Winter 2017-2018 ready-to-wear collection fashion show in Paris. — AFP/AP photos