Following in the footsteps of Philippe Guibourge, Karl Lagerfeld, and Virginie Viard, Matthieu Blazy must make his own mark on the House of Chanel. The signatures, the history, the expectations, and the sheer demands of the name Chanel mean the eyes of the world are watching his every move. What would this Métiers d’Art show tell us about his vision?
In 1944, “On the Town” a show with music by Leonid Bernstein and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green featured the song “New York, New York, it’s a wonderful town”. Not only was this part of the soundtrack to the Chanel show on Tuesday evening, but it is part of the Chanel history since she first visited in 1931 on her way to Hollywood, and Matthieu Blazy, the new creative director, spent some years living there.
As the models read their newspapers or stalked past with their coats slung over their arms, they looked like real people in beautiful clothes, not just models. At the finale, as they poured onto the station platform and strolled and mingled, and in some cases strode past, it became clear that Monsieur Blazy wishes to open wide the windows on the house of Chanel and let a brisk breeze freshen everything.
Working with all the houses at 19m, the amazing headquarters for all the Métiers d’Art names owned by Chanel, the lightness, the intensity of the work and with much of it an extraordinary subtlety which was only revealed in press notes or by those really in the know. So, the denim is actually silk embroidery by Lesage, or we note the braid trimmings are woven from the threads of the fabric, the fringe is an extension of the weave or the buttons spell “Chanel” one by one, or a braid is actually beading.
Each model was playing a character, and it was inspired by Blazy’s view that sooner or later, you see every type on the subway in New York. The audience itself as it arrived, featured an amazing and eclectic group, and note especially the Chanel one-off pieces for men. Dapper Dan, Tilda Swinton, Christine, Baranski, Kristen Stewart, Ayo Edebiri, Angel Reese, Linda Evangelista, Tessa Thompson, Sofia Coppola, Romy Mars, Teyana Taylor, A$AP Rocky, Bowen Yang, Martin Scorsese, Lupita Nyong’o, Jessie Buckley, Wang Yibo, and Margaret Qualley, Riley Keough Emily Ratajkowski, Meg Ryan, and Jon Bon Jovi.
From the cardigan to the twenties flapper dress, from the Chanel jacket and straight skirt suit to the trench, every signature of the house was to be found, but not in a loud, obvious manner, simply as part of the collection of looks. The idea of diversity within women across the globe, from petite and classic to Amazonian and sporty, from happy in body-revealing looks to neatly secure in tightly buttoned up, meant that there truly was something for everyone in nearly one hundred looks. From understated librarian knits to floor-length glittering vamp, and from classic to outré, the collection spoke out Chanel but not just in braid and logos but with nods to her personal style and the history of the house, with special nods to her work in Hollywood. There was also a brilliant wit at work in the multilayered references, especially in accessories and details. These ranged from the animal patterned coat Chanel wore on her first visit to New York, to bold tiger pattern in giant sequins inspired by a cereal packet, to a rue Cambon French poodle in fringe, and from a handbag inspired by a Central Park squirrel to delicate 1930’s Gloria Swanson evening shoes, right through to the New York symbol of the Big Apple to comic strip legend Superman.
Freedom and modernity were always at the heart of Chanel’s philosophy of fashion. So often in images, we see Chanel has her hands plunged in her pockets, or she is gesticulating wildly, her ideas across the decades, even for evening wear, were about a modern woman who moved and lived her life doing things. Although it was not a success, we can catch glimpses of why Katherine Hepburn, in the musical “Coco” on Broadway in 1969, was cast with her own freedom of living. Chanel went to the races, out into the countryside, rode, strode around Paris, went to parties, and worked with the theatre and ballet. She was multifaceted and opinionated, talkative and communicative, unlike the shy camellia she used as a motif; she was a strong woman. From her earliest years as the girlfriend of rich men, to her early millinery shop, from her use of utility fabrics for suits to her stealing of menswear items for a woman’s wardrobe, Gabrielle Chanel was modern. This collection reflected a myriad selection of types of modern woman from clean lines and sporty to city slicker in monochrome to glamorous performer in scarlet and black to immaculate power player in a shimmering suit.
It is hard to pick out key pieces with so much to choose from but here goes with roughly twenty things that give an indication of how the collection was put together.
The black shirt tunic and trousers with the model carrying two handbags, city chic but also perfect for urban life after six if dressed up for cocktails or gallery opening or dinner. Animal pattern suit with braiding, note the longer skirt but with a sexy wrap, a very slender deep moss green suit with a crunchy monochrome trim, the fabric rippling like real moss or the fabric Cloqué; note the pocket placement. Leather trench, deep Bordeaux shirt and zippered skirt, executive-level dressing. The amazing and superb black look with a slash of scarlet wrap and a turban. A dear little boucle effect suit with a cardigan jacket, but as light as a feather, worn with an I Love New York t-shirt with realised in solid glittering embroidery.
A slender leather shirt jacket and pants worn with shades, a chunky necklace, and lavish folds of scarlet faux fur, for making a centre stage entrance. A camel twin set with exquisite white embroidery, worn with a faux croc suit and also a slender black Chanel coat worn over an easy white silk t-shirt and wide jeans with a classic Chanel bag, these kinds of looks spell chic nonchalance. A camel cardigan coat, worn over Prince of Wales check skirt and a black and polo neck sweater. The check used for an oversize blazer, a pale blue and white shirt, the double “C” logo in the style of the Superman logo sweater, and Oxford bag pants in dark chestnut brown. A plunge back slip dress, ombré beaded and embroidered from deep scarlet at the draped top to blush rose at the hem, whilst the model carried slung over her arm a herringbone boucle winter coat, mingling glamour and practicality. A tweed suit with the jacket carried worn with a slouchy grey sweater and brilliant scarlet suede long gloves. A huge billowing black cape worn over a soft floor length dress, very Karl Lagerfeld vis Coco, whilst there was a solid sequinned red midi dress with a plunging “V” neckline worn under a cloud of a black feathered coat. A harlequin patterned dress in monochrome exploded into a deep hem of eau de Nile feathers and was worn open over wide camel crepe trousers. A black and white suit had a black and grey ocelot patterned coat shrugged over it, whilst the final dress was a snow white Art Deco vision in tulle layers sprinkled with fragile frost like embroidery tumbling down the body until the skirt broke out in godets. Needless to say, this wasn’t a traditional “bride” but more of a film star at a movie premiere under the huge arc lights of the 1930s, as it must have been when Chanel herself first saw New York.
Information on the Métiers d’Art – Chanel
In this time of AI and technology, one element in fashion remains strong and highly valued: the world of the handmade. Craft and artisanal work are at the heart of not only couture and luxury but for many small brands a vital thread in their success. Computers and technology may be utilised as appropriate, but it is the heart of fashion to cut, sew, and decorate by hand, just as the live fashion show remains the focus of each season’s statement. Every year, Chanel the Métiers d’Art show draws gasps from the audience, and the fournisseurs in the Métiers d’Art are the prestige houses with beautiful stories and histories. It is important to note these artisans continue to be independent and are free to supply and collaborate with other houses.
Since December 2002 there is one Métiers d’Art catwalk show a year, in a different city each year. Today there are also brilliant creatives like Hubert Barrère at Lesage and Christelle Kosher at Lemarié working with the teams at the Métiers d’Art.
In 2021 all Métiers d’Art ateliers were moved to Le 19m a dedicated new building created by architect Rudy Ricciotti, positioned in the neighbourhood of Porte d’Aubervilliers. “For us at Chanel, it’s a guarantee that this creativity can continue to exist for the next 50 years.” Bruno Pavlovsky, Chanel’s president of fashion.
Desrues – ornamentation and buttons (established 1929, acquired by Chanel in 1985)
Michel – milliner (established 1936, acquired by Paraffection in 1996)
Lemarié – feathers and camellias (established 1880, acquired 1996)
Lesage – embroidery (established 1924, acquired 2002)
Massaro – shoemaker (established 1984, acquired 2002)
Goossens – gold and silversmith (established in the 1950s, acquired 2005)
Guillet – maker of fabric flowers (established 1858, acquired 2006)
Montex – embroidery (established 1939, acquired 2011)
Causse – glovemaker (established 1892, acquired 2012)
Barrie – a Scottish knitwear manufacturer (established in the 1903, acquired 2012)
Les Ateliers Lognon – pleater (established 1853, acquired 2013)
Métiers d’Art
