Fashionable ladies of the lake

Embracing heritage

Since 2002, the annual Chanel Metiers d'art collection celebrates the virtuoso hands of fashion and craft heritage and its worldwide influence. Presented in cities that inspire the house, from New York to Dakar, from Manchester in 2023 to Hangzhou this year, the collections are a dialogue between the Chanel Creation Studio, ready-to-wear ateliers and the Maisons d'art at le19M. This is where the brand brings together more than 700 artisans specializing in embroidery, goldsmithing, jewelry, feather-work, hats and shoemaking.

This summer, artisans from several le19M workshops visited Hangzhou for inspiration and worked with local artisans. One was Christelle Kocher, artistic director of Lemarie, the workshop founded in 1880 that has hand-assembled Chanel's emblematic camellia petal-by-petal since the 1960s.

"From Paris to Hangzhou, it's about merging Chanel's heritage with the essence of the host city. For this collection, we started with the coromandel screens. The artistry, with its intricate depictions of birds, flowers and nature, immediately captivated me. We explored motifs, materials and techniques that reflect Chanel's codes and the rich cultural identity of the region. It's a blend of research and collaboration with artisans and a modern reinterpretation of tradition," says Kocher.

"I once spent two months with artisans from the Dong and Miao ethnic groups in Southwest China's Yunnan province in 2002, immersing myself in their unique craftsmanship and traditions. Hangzhou feels like a continuation of that journey but with its own distinct blend of history and modernity.