To the surprise of the guests of the Grand Palais Éphémère, the French fashion house opened its parade on Tuesday with the help of the niece of Prince Albert of Monaco, Charlotte Casiraghi, also a show jumper.

Dressed in a sequined Chanel jacket and black helmet, Casiraghi emerged on horseback, hurtling down the catwalk accompanied by a live performance by musician Sébastien Tellier. With several distinguished guests in attendance, including Margot Robbie, Pharrell Williams and Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, she circled the room before breaking into a gallop.

Casiraghi, who is also the granddaughter of Hollywood icon Grace Kelly, was unveiled as Chanel’s 2020 brand ambassador, having previously modeled for Gucci and Saint Laurent. Her mother, Princess Caroline of Hanover, was a close friend of the late Chanel creative director, Karl Lagerfeld.

“I immediately think of the story of Chanel and Gabrielle Chanel,” Casiraghi added. “Horses and riding were extremely important, even defining, in his vision of the brand.”

The striking decor for the event, which was littered with geometric objects and featured what Chanel called “equestrian curves,” was designed by French artist Xavier Veilhan. In Chanel’s promotional video, Veilhan said he and creative director Virginie Viard wanted the models and clothes to “contrast with the beauty of the rider and the horse.”

“It was also a way to align the very strong aesthetic of the horse with that of haute couture, and to see how refinement and animality can come together,” he said.

After Casiraghi’s dramatic appearance, the rest of the models were part of Chanel’s Spring-Summer 2022 Haute Couture collection. Check out the full collection in the video below.