This season, the Chanel couture show fell on July 4. And in the front row, following a catwalk extravaganza that took place beneath a large reproduction of the Eiffel Tower inside the Grand Palais, the American pop star Katy Perry was pondering the meaning of true independence.

“This year I am going to celebrate the holiday by thinking about what freedom really means,” said the singer. She was sporting a silver choker, astronaut-emblazoned Chanel ensemble and peroxide pixie-cropped haircut — which meant she blended in with fellow celebrity guests including Cara Delevingne, Kristen Stewart and Tilda Swinton, all with similar hairdos.

Ms. Perry’s mother, Mary, who had never been to a fashion show before, stood nearby, beaming.

“I’ll eat a cheeseburger, sure. But I also think we are all redefining what freedom actually means in the States right now,” said Ms. Perry, a vocal supporter of the Democratic Party. “I think that looking at the social injustices that are happening before our very eyes and saying ‘Oh, we think we are free to live as we please,’ is becoming a myth. I’m not quite sure that we are. We are not there yet.”

As she was greeted by Tonne Goodman, fashion director of American Vogue, Ms. Perry, the magazine’s May cover star, suggested that making society a better place to live often started at home.