The name Chanel needs no introduction. And it is the pioneering designer Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel behind the name who paved the way for a unique elegance that continues to influence the way women dress today. Now the iconic designer is the focus of a major exhibition dedicated to her work at London's Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A).
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| Gabrielle Chanel, 31 rue Cambon, Paris, 1937. Photo by Roger Schall Courtesy of Victoria &Albert Museum, London |
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| (c) Victoria and Albert Museum, London |
Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto charts the evolution of Coco's iconic design style and the establishment of the House of CHANEL, from the opening of her first millinery boutique in Paris in 1910 to the showing of her final collection in 1971.
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| Marion Morehouse, wearing a black crepe romain bolero dress with fringed and paillette embroidered skirt by Chanel. Published in Vogue US, 1926. Edward SteichenCondé NastShutterstuck Courtesy of Victoria &Albert Museum, London |
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| Lithograph of CHANEL No.5 fragrance by Sem (Georges Gouarsat, dit) (1863-1934), published in The New York Times, 16 December 1924 © Paris Musées, Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris Courtesy of V&A Museum, London |
Based upon the Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto exhibition organised by the Palais Galliera, Fashion Museum of the City of Paris, the exhibition is re-imagined by the V&A, with more than 100 new objects including 60 new looks.
It features rarely seen pieces from the V&A’s collection, alongside looks from Palais Galliera and the Patrimoine de CHANEL, the heritage collections of the fashion House in Paris. Highlights include one of the earliest surviving Chanel garments from 1916; original costumes designed by Chanel for the Ballets Russes production of Le Train Bleu in 1924; outfits created for Hollywood stars Lauren Bacall and Marlene Dietrich; an early example of Chanel's ground-breaking evening trousers and ensembles from Chanel’s final collection of 1971.
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| (c) Victoria and Albert Museum, London |
Chanel designed first and foremost for herself. By creating clothes fit for an independent and active lifestyle, she anticipated the needs and wants of the modern woman. Through ten themed sections, the exhibition explores Chanel’s innovative approach to fabric, silhouette and construction, and will examine how she drafted a new framework for fashion in the 20th century.
Showcasing a stunning array of some of Chanel’s most notable designs from her sixty years in fashion, the exhibition analyses her professional career, the emergence and the development of her style, and her contribution to the history of fashion. The exhibition also highlights Chanel’s British inspirations, such as her adoption of tweed, partnerships with British textile firms and textile factory in Huddersfield.
Coinciding with the V&A exhibition, the BBC features a documentary Coco Chanel Unbuttoned, available on BBC iplayer (if watching it in the UK). According to thee BBC, this documentary weaves together the truth of Chanel and her work, based on a series of intimate interviews with her biographer Paul Morand, and voiced by La Boum and Braveheart actress Sophie Marceau. With animation and unprecedented access to the House of Chanel archives, never before has a film managed to get to the heart of her enduring legacy like this one.
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