Chanel
Coco Chanel founded the house of Chanel in 1910. The Paris-based designer is synonymous with revolutionising women’s fashion, pioneering comfortable jersey and non-constrictive tweed suits, and reinventing the little black dress. German-born Karl Lagerfeld became creative director of the house in 1982. During his extensive tenure, he has gained renown for imaginatively updating the codes of the house, presenting his collections against breathtaking show sets, resembling supermarkets, space stations and ancient ruins. Here, you’ll find in-depth reviews and round-ups covering everything from ready-to-wear to fragrance, high jewellery to horology, exclusive insight into the French maison’s artistic and architectural endeavours, and a look into the cross-cultural world of Karl Lagerfeld.
Chanel’s A/W 2017 ‘Gabrielle Chanel Agency Spatiale’ showset, which boasted an igloo-like tent, flashing transmission towers and a giant Chanel logo rocket, held inside the Grand Palais in Paris
From the catwalk to the boardroom, we bring you the latest trends for high-rise, power dressing, fit for the most sartorial executives. Photography: Iringó Demeter. Fashion: Lune Kuipers. As originally featured in the July 2016 issue of Wallpaper* (*208)
Chanel’s colourful S/S 2016 collection featured jumpsuits and skirt suits cut from criss-cross tweeds, presented on an airport-inspired runway, featuring 37 different check-in desks, 16 electronic kiosks and a huge monitor displaying incoming flights. Photography: Jason Llloyd-Evans
Artist’s Palate: Karl Lagerfeld’s stuffed peppers and tomatoes. As originally featured in the March 2016 issue of Wallpaper* (W*204)
Chanel’s A/W 2017 Ancient Greece-inspired show set, featured Parthenon-worthy crumbling columns and a sunset view of the Aegean – at the Grand Palais’ Galerie Courbe in Paris. Photography: Olivier Saillant
The Parisian maison is renowned for its innovative and elegant show invitations, including this airline-inspired S/S 2016 interpretation. Photography: Jessica Klingelfuss
‘Les Blés de Chanel’ high jewellery collection took inspiration from sheaves of wheat, a motif Coco Chanel was fascinated with during her lifetime. Gilded sheaves of wheat were a notable interior design detail in her 31 rue Cambon apartment in Paris
A/W 2016’s oversized catwalk jewellery showed flashes of genius. Left, earrings by Marni. Right, earrings, by Chanel. As originally featured in the April 2017 issue of Wallpaper* (W*217). Photography: Marc Hibbert. Fashion: Lune Kuipers
Chanel’s colourful, techno-tinged S/S 2017 collection, presented on a futuristic runway depicting the ‘The Chanel Data Center’ – a series of huge rows of twisted coloured wires, switches and LED light boxes. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
It’s been three decades since Chanel embraced fine watchmaking traditions, fusing materials, engineering and craft to create a stylish horological universe all its own. ’J12’ watch with black ceramic and steel case, undirectional rotating bezel and black ceramic bracelet (2000)
