How would you define “allure”? Chanel unveils its latest installation CHANEL — A Journey Into The Allure, in Hong Kong for the first time, bringing together designs by Gabrielle Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld and Virginie Viard for a creative dialogue that transcends time. In light of this momentous occasion, Chanel muses Vivienne Rohner and Amanda Sanchez, fashion writer Loïc Prigent and President of Fashion Bruno Pavlovsky make a special trip to Hong Kong and share what the allure of Chanel – ineffable yet impactful – truly means to them.
From the selection of designs to the final presentation, the installation has been carefully curated.
Chanel And Cinema
Before stepping into CHANEL — A Journey Into The Allure, we discussed the most fitting Chinese translation of the French word “allure”. But this word remains just as vague in Chinese: what is allure? It is not bound by physical constraints, yet it is somewhat tangible, like a piercing gaze. To reach the installation, we walked through a tunnel that provided important clues as to allure truly means. On the wall, a horizontal line of small screens showed the same close-up video of Kristen Stewart, capturing the most minuscule of changes in her facial expression. Her voice echoed through the tunnel: “Choosing to define self, it’s so fluid, it’s so liquid”, a narration that was repeated over and over, setting the tone for CHANEL — A Journey Into The Allure.
The New Wave, also known as La Nouvelle Vague in French, is a film movement that rose to popularity in the 50s and 60s and has profoundly impacted the development of cinema. The movement was characterised by fragmented editing, experimental long takes and scattered dialogue — elements that come together to create an ambiguous narrative that intrigues. So when Virginie Viard took inspiration from the 1961 French Wave masterpiece Last Year at Marienbad for her latest Spring/Summer collection and extended that to this installation, it resulted in perfection. As we listen to Kristen Stewart’s monologue, we are transported to a time and place that defies logic yet brims with allure.
Timeless Allure
Imagine stepping into a four-dimensional space like the one created by Christopher Nolan in Interstellar, where three eras of Chanel co-exist: Gabrielle Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld and Virginie Viard. Around 40 contemporary and archival designs are showcased side by side, categorised according to different facets that make up Chanel’s design language: black chiffon, lace, ruffles, bows, black velvet, feathers, fringing and more. At a glance, you can see how two legendary Creative Directors have reinterpreted and transformed these elements since Chanel’s founding days.
“Movie is the perfect starting point for this 45 minute journey. We want to show (the audience) what is Chanel today, in a poetic, also in a very real way,” Bruno Pavlovsky shares. “The installation shows in great detail the continuity, the creativity and the style, from Gabrielle Chanel, Karl, to Virginie. Also their vision and all the details that make Chanel special today. I can say this, the reason why Chanel is so different from other competitors, a very important reason behind, is that we are very focused. We don’t pay much attention to others, but focus on our very best. We respect the past, but also (focus) a lot on the future, with each designer’s vision. When you own a jacket from Chanel, you also became a part of the history, the story. That is what makes us special from the start.”
On display at the installation was Seyrig’s black chiffon dress from Last Year at Marienbad, an iconic look showcasing how Chanel’s DNA has evolved with the vision of different designers throughout the years. Gabrielle Chanel draped a black chiffon shawl of the same length over the little black dress — the epitome of ethereal. Karl Lagerfeld, however, lent a masculine edge to the soft chiffon with sharp lines in his 2005/06 Métiers d’Art collection (a powerful interpretation of femininity is also key to Chanel’s DNA). Now, Virginie Viard is focused on the present: she opened her Spring/Summer 2023 show with a long black chiffon cape styled over a cotton graphic print top, a look embellished with a black camellia pin with a feather.
The Elegant Rebels Of Chanel
Footage from Last Year at Marienbad not only acted as a stunning backdrop for the installation but also spotlighted the role of Delphine Seyrig. Film director Alain Resnais called upon Gabrielle Chanel to design Seyrig’s costumes in the movie, and Seyrig became one of Chanel’s most important muses ever since. Apart from being known for her beauty, Seyrig is an activist who fights for women’s rights in her industry and has worked with her friend and Swiss director Carole Roussopoulos for years to shed light on the reality of the industry. A collection of footage from the duo’s years of visiting women in film to confront injustice has been compiled into the documentary Delphine et Carole, Insoumuses, by Roussopoulos’ granddaughter Callisto McNulty. To Gabrielle Chanel, who has spent her life breaking boundaries, no actress embodies the spirit of Chanel better than Seyrig.
“To me, Chanel women are always strong and powerful, they can do everything,” states long-time Chanel muse Amanda Sanchez. “I can say Chanel shapes every woman. Chanel’s work is for everyone, and fits every woman with very different styles. You can wear it your own way and to be your best self.”
A Dialogue That Transcends Time
Rare Chanel pieces can be found at the installation, including three designs that are nearly over a century old. Even when a 1930 haute couture dress by Gabrielle Chanel and a 2023 Virginie Viard creation are shown side by side, they both look equally modern — a testament to the timelessness of Chanel’s legacy. “Fashion is now coming so quickly at us, and, and it seems like it’s instant fashion everywhere. And I think it’s really interesting to see, in great detail, how a style evolved,” muses fashion writer Loïc Prigent after visiting the installation. “It’s surprising to see the archive (pieces) look so modern. Things that are trendy today, you can see them in Gabrielle Chanel’s work from the 1920s, in 1968…she did that! It is so intriguing.”
“Virginie had worked with Karl for more than 30 years. She knows everything of Gabrielle Chanel and Karl,” explains Pavlovsky. “We look to the past on a daily basis, but also very important for us, is to think about the future. Virginie understands what women today want, what they need. We are not stuck in the past, we bring all our best to the future.” Whether making bows easier to style, injecting modernity into dreamy ruffles, having fun with the brand logo, or incorporating glamorous details like tassels and feathers into our everyday wardrobe, Virginie’s modern interpretations of Chanel always feel like a breath of fresh air.
This form of quiet rebellion is something Amanda Sanchez has experienced first-hand on the runways of Chanel. “The show Virginie did in 2020 (Spring Summer Haute Couture), it is a beautiful collection. I was wearing a white dress, almost like a wedding gown. It was so comfortable, and I felt empowered. It was very emotional for everyone there and we all cried in the end…”
“I don’t like people talking about Chanel fashion, Chanel–above all else, is a style,” said Gabrielle Chanel. While the word “allure” can be interpreted in a myriad of ways, every woman who wears Chanel becomes the master of their own alluring narrative.
Editor
Ahy Choi
