Chanel Métier D’art show took place in the unusual setting of Manchester, home to Brit pop bands of the 1980s and ‘90s. It was a star studded affair with a typical British back drop, dark skies and rain.
True to a stereotype that any Manchester resident knows far too well, myself included, Chanel’s first outing in the city via their annual Métier d’art Show was welcomed with dark grey clouds offering wet conditions for those in attendance. Talking to the crowds that gathered to glimpse anyone of note, one onlooker said, “The only thing I’ll see is my toes through my wet socks!”. The irony was not lost when the rain cleared upon the show’s conclusion.
Ignoring the trademark northern humor for a moment and the local’s guide of leaving the house in winter (big coat, boots and of course an umbrella), the importance of Chanel seeking Manchester as the host for their infamous yearly gathering cannot be understated for both the Maison and the city. Chanel stated they have “chosen to present the 2023/24 Métier D’art show in Manchester, one of the most effervescent cities of pop culture and an avant-garde one whose bands, spanning all genres, have changed the history of music”.
Held across Manchester’s Thomas Street in the heart of the historic Northern Quarter, the purpose-erected shelter lining the road offered some respite from the rain. Thomas Street was an overlooked area in the city center until the 1990s, with a regeneration program lifting it into the 21st century. The juxtaposed local history of the area’s working-class vs luxury label had raised questions in the minds of Manchester. Yet, a consensus was reached, and Chanel’s artisan approach melded incredibly well looking at the Maison’s various pieces offered on the night.
Chanel’s creative director since 2019, Virginie Viard’s artistic direction, preparation, and outlook on the representation of the city of Manchester and British fashion culture and its history was apparent, most notably through accented nods to emergent trends present in 1960s Britain. From flashes of bold color in an industry witnessing an almost black matrix output, to mini-skirts and tartan, Britania, punk, and grunge were woven into an elevated aesthetic. Chanel’s backdrop of a tailored approach and emblems symbolic of Chanel and its legacies in fashion complemented both the U.K.’s 60s fashion sagas and the house.
Closer to Manchester, it was apparent that the Chanel team had completed a meticulous history check of the locality. A garment listing British cities put Manchester at the front through the use of bold typography that was enlarged in comparison to the other listees. Others offered homage to football. The music selected for the runway capitalized on the city’s incredible music history, with New Order and Soft Cell featured prominently.
Chanel told a global audience worldwide that, “Sofia Coppola, Lucy Boynton, Sakura Ando, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Caroline De Maigret, Peter Saville, Kristen Stewart, Rebecca Marder, Marion Barbeau, Charlotte Casiraghi, John Cooper Clarke, Charlotte Stockdale and Katie Lyall immersed themselves in the vibrant atmosphere of the city in the lead up to the Chanel 2023/24 Métiers d’art show”. All are intrinsically linked either to the event or through representation of Chanel as brand ambassadors or as frequent collaborators.
Teased for the weeks leading up to the event through suggestive PR, an accompanying film helmed by Sophia Coppola, honored Manchester’s rich history. In a city that transformed women’s rights through the suffragette movement, changed humanity forever with its scientific innovation, music that sees global stage, and of course, its football scene, Coppola had a stacked canvas to which all received a just nod.
Jamie Hawkesworth offered his flare, rightly only appropriated to the artist, through a series of images titled, A Mancunian Story, that can trace their origin back to his formative years in education. A natural selection to execute and deliver a Chanel brief imagined by Virginie Viard in Manchester, Jamie was educated in Lancashire with aesthetic qualities such as the interplay of light influenced by early shoots in the north inclusive of Preston Bus Station.
The Métier d’arts event was closed by Mancunian Model Karen Elson. Emotions were clearly high, and the opportunity to represent Chanel in their first show in the city was not overlooked, with Elson taking to Instagram saying, “Closing the @chanelofficial show in my hometown of Manchester. I’m weeping”.
After the show last Thursday, Chanel also launched an exhibition called “Manchestermodern: past present future” at the Victoria Baths, a former public swimming pool which opened in 1906. It has since been used for concerts, exhibitions, parties etc.
The exhibition was open to the public over the week end. Works were shown by graphic designer and art director Peter Saville, photographers Martin Parr, Alasdair McLellan, Elaine Constantine, Shirley Baker and Kevin Cummins, poets John Cooper Clarke, Boshra G, Princess Arinola Adegbite aka P.A. BITEZ and Lemn Sissay, and other artists at the crossroads of various disciplines.
Runway images courtesy of Chanel. Preview images of the show were taken by Jamie Hawkesworth, with direction from Sophia Coppola.
