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.

It’s been a pretty eclectic Paris Fashion Week (March 3-11). We’ve had Victoria Beckham turn a dressing gown into a dreamily draped top, Sarah Burton put her stamp on Givenchy, and witty Dutch designer Duran Lantink – tipped to take over at Jean Paul Gaultier – sent a male model down the runway wearing prosthetic breasts.

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

Long before the “bow girl,” in all her coquettecore glory, became a fashion archetype, there was Chanel. This morning at Paris Fashion Week, the French house wrapped the Grand Palais in a massive black ribbon to celebrate one of its most beloved motifs.