Luxury house Chanel will unveil its 2024/25 Métiers d’Art collection in Hangzhou, China, intertwining Gabrielle Chanel’s creative legacy with the cultural depth of its setting. Accompanied by a film directed by Wim Wenders, starring Chanel ambassadors Tilda Swinton, Xin Zhilei, and Leah Dou, the event pays homage to the intersection of artistry, heritage, and innovation.
Hangzhou, famed for its silk-making traditions and artistic history, is a fitting location for Chanel’s Métiers d’Art collection. West Lake, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has inspired poets and painters for centuries. For Chanel, this setting is deeply symbolic, tying back to Gabrielle Chanel’s personal and creative universe. Wenders’ film captures this connection, weaving together the lake’s serene beauty with a narrative that bridges past and present.
At the heart of this project is Gabrielle Chanel’s treasured Coromandel screen, a 19th-century lacquer masterpiece depicting Hangzhou’s West Lake. This screen, which adorned her Rue Cambon apartment, was a constant source of inspiration. “I would faint with happiness when I walked into a Chinese art dealer and saw a Coromandel,” Gabrielle Chanel once remarked, underscoring her admiration for Chinese craftsmanship. Though she never traveled to China, the imagery of the Coromandel screens fueled her creative dreams, appearing subtly in her designs.
Wim Wenders reinterprets this inspiration, presenting the Coromandel screen as a window into the world of imagination. The film juxtaposes the intricate craftsmanship of the lacquered panels with contemporary digital storytelling, creating a dialogue between tactile artistry and technological advancement. This interplay reflects Hangzhou itself, a city that balances its deep-rooted traditions with a forward-thinking spirit, echoing the ethos of Chanel’s Métiers d’Art.
Chanel’s Métiers d’Art collections celebrate the artistry of the fashion métiers, where heritage and creativity converge. Gabrielle Chanel’s ability to incorporate Chinese motifs into her mid-century designs demonstrates her foresight in drawing inspiration from diverse cultures. Wenders’ cinematic vision extends this narrative, exploring how the traditions of the past ignite the creative possibilities of the present and future.
Tomorrow, December 3, 2024, the Métiers d’Art show will take place at West Lake, transforming this legendary location into a living canvas of artistry and culture. Streamed globally on Chanel’s platforms, the event invites audiences worldwide to witness this extraordinary celebration of craftsmanship, culture, and innovation.
