10-word show review: An electric Mètiers D’art showing referencing youth culture and music.
Designer: Virginie Viard
Location: Thomas Street
The vision: Though inherently French, Chanel boasts a longstanding relationship with Great Britain. The affinity began with Coco Chanel’s connection to the Duke of Westminster who she became acquainted with in 1923. Soon, she began travelling to Manchester—which was a bustling textile mill in the 19th century—to fashion magic out of English tweed. Decades on, Chanel’s Mètiers D’art collection unveils itself in the metropolis, inspired by its era-defining artistic expression. So where exactly does one begin when it comes to a town so creatively diverse? With ateliers at the forefront of the collection from Lesage, Goossens, Le Marie and Barrie, the options, despite the location, are endless. “At the beginning, I imagined we would work around Manchester’s music and football, but when I spoke to Virginie, I felt it was important to mix the English sense of humour with the French spirit. We created something around the idea of teatime, because it’s an institution. After that, I developed another idea around music,” shares Lesage’s artistic director Hubert Barrère.
The vibe: Set across the pubs and tattoo parlours of Thomas Street, guests were seated amidst crimson brick walls and the patter of evening rain. With Viard’s love for strummy music, the show began with a familiar heart-thumping pang, opening to a model decked out in a grey tweed A-line coat with subtle lashings of red. The energy of youth culture was palpable even within the first few seconds. Following suit was a nod to all motifs quintessentially British: boxy Sherlock-inspired jackets, compact pageboy hats and sweaters laced with teacup motifs, coupled with the expertly sprinkled, defiant current of girlhood. Pop-injected outerwear was coupled with unassuming Mary Janes, sheer billowing tops and Juliette sleeves added a sense of romantic charm and checks made a timely appearance on body-skimming cardigans and skirts. Despite the coming together of two very different worlds, Viard’s portait of the Northern girl was apparent in the tiniest of details, from the swagger of model Edie Campbell to the simple swap of a Chanel bag-on-chain, ready for a night out.
Signature silhouettes: The beauty of Chanel’s Mètiers D’art collections is that they shine in their novelty consistently. The precision of craftmanship was not lost on viewers and the maison’s tweed suits coupled with A-line midi and mini skirts were the perfect examples of the melding of two worlds. “Embroidery has existed since the beginning of the story,” notes Barrère. “The antiquity exists between the two realms and the embroidery is always contemporary because of change, adaptation and innovation. It’s not the time for AI, for example. But we mix it with new technologies like 3D printing and laser to help us create something that’s impossible to do. It’s a combination of craft and technology.” As with all things Chanel, nothing is ever done with a heavy hand. Barrère hints at the collection’s complex simplicity, pointing out one favourite look in particular. “I love this one black and white suit with small flowers and mother pearls. It’s so pretty and very simple,” he notes. “Simplicity isn’t easy, however. Simplicity is very difficult to achieve because it’s about having a good balance.” And at maison Chanel, this balance is an enduring classic.
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