A tribute to the savoir-faire of the artisans who enhance CHANEL creations, the Métiers d’art collection highlights the work of the resident Maisons d’art at le19M. Photographed in the Parisian ateliers before the 2024/25 Métiers d’art show that was held on December 3rd in Hangzhou, these images capture the virtuosity of their gestures and the precision of their savoir-faire, which are constantly being reinvented.
An unwavering partner of CHANEL since 1983, Lesage – which celebrates its centenary this year – joined the Fashion Métiers d’art in 2002. For the 2024/25 Métiers d’art collection, the House’s embroideries are inspired by the Coromandel screen motifs so dear to Gabrielle Chanel, reworked in a dreamlike, abstract spirit. These include exceptional boots inspired by a pair that belonged to the couturière herself and that were designed in collaboration with the shoemaker Massaro – also one of le19M’s resident Maisons d’art. The tweeds developed by Lesage’s textile design department recall the rich hues of the Coromandel screens and the reflections of their lacquer.
For its innovative research into new materials and textures, the Montex embroidery atelier, founded in Paris in 1949, pushes the boundaries of the imagination for every one of its creations. For this show, Montex created braid embroidered with flowers in phosphorescent thread, hand-painted to give a shadow effect, and which came to life during the show presented at night fall on Lake Xihu.
Lemarié is an exceptional feather worker and floral parurier, and for more than sixty years has been ornamenting the creations of the ten annual CHANEL collections. For the 2024/25 Métiers d’art collection, the CHANEL Creation studio created pastel-coloured jackets adorned with matching feather boas: one in jade green silk, pleated and quilted with a diamond motif, is embellished with strips of tulle and marabou; the other in light blue velvet, padded and quilted, is swathed in velvet flowers embossed and appliqued in the hollows of the quilting.
A part of Lemarié since 2013, the artisans at Lognon also contributed their virtuoso pleating to the collection. An off-white silk satin jacket pleated by Lognon and then smocked and beaded by Lemarié combined two flat pleats that varied in width and orientation to create a 3D quilted effect. The dress that closed the show combined two types of pleating – sunburst and ‘au bonheur des dames’ – embellished by Lemarié with inlays of lace, lurex thread and golden beads forming large camellias.
An ever-evolving creative laboratory, the milliner and hatter Maison Michel was founded in 1936 by Auguste Michel and acquired by CHANEL in 1997. For the Métiers d’art collection, Maison Michel created big hats in leather or felt with narrow brims. They add the finishing touch to a traveller’s silhouette consisting of a belted jacket and a pleated skirt in tweed.
The goldsmith Goossens, founded in 1950 by Robert Goossens, transforms bronze, rock crystal, wood and glass paste into exceptional jewellery, ornaments and decorative objects for the interior. For this collection, Goossens created a series of pieces in gilded metal inspired by a heart-shaped jewel from the CHANEL archives, on the back of which appears the texture of a waterlily leaf reminiscent of the table created by Robert Goossens for Gabrielle Chanel’s apartment at 31 rue Cambon.
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