Karl Lagerfeld wields so much power, he could sell it back to the electric company. At first, that seemed to be the message of his spring collection for Chanel, with its set design of 13 outsized wind turbines (possibly imported from the Mojave desert), slowly rotating atop a runway made to look like solar panels. Whispers circulated that this could be Chanel’s entrée into the buzzy world of green energy and sustainability. But in fact, as he said after the show, he simply wanted to convey a sense of airiness.

From there, references to the theme were few and far between: grid-like check prints, perhaps a light-switch print, one sweater knitted with wind turbines, a chain-link material seemingly made from tiny solar panels, and wide-brimmed hats resembling an on-off button. Mostly this was a show of familiar Chanel memes, recycled from season to season. These included small, then large, pearls covering entire outfits as if blown on the wind, as well as a smattering of bouclé and quilted jackets. Only one interlocking-C logo could be found, on a swimsuit accessorized with a giant propeller-like round bag. It seems the winds of change have begun to reach Chanel.