The iconic West Lake in Hangzhou, China, is the location chosen by Chanel to house their next 2024/25 Métiers d’art show, a location filled with artistic heritage and legendary beauty. Known for its silk trade and as a muse for countless poets and artists, Hangzhou is more than a setting—it’s a testament to the fusion of tradition and innovation that defines the city and the Maison. To celebrate and anticipate the show, an ethereal film by none other than the legend Wim Wenders has been released, starring Chanel ambassadors Tilda Swinton, Xin Zhilei, and the newly appointed Leah Dou, capturing the spirit of the collection and paying homage to the city’s profound artistry that inspired Gabrielle Chanel.
For Mademoiselle Chanel, China was a dream destination that would forever remain as that, a dream. Her Parisian apartment housed an exquisite collection of Coromandel screens, with the largest—depicting Hangzhou’s West Lake—taking pride of place in her private office. “I would faint with happiness when I walked into a Chinese art dealer and saw a Coromandel,” she once said, encapsulating her reverence for their intricate craftsmanship and culture. Though she never visited the region, these lacquered visions inspired her creative world, translated into designs during the 1950s and 60s that managed to intertwine Eastern motifs with the Chanel aesthetic. The lake, rendered in her beloved art pieces, became a symbol of storytelling and imagination—a role it continues to play in this latest collection.
The exquisite mind and eye of Wim Wenders’ took this Coromandel screen as a lens into modernity and the starting point of this journey that takes us and Tilda Swinton from the elegant cosiness of her home at Rue Cambon to the breathtaking beauty of West Lake, a tranquil sighting that transcends time. The film bridges these eras with contemporary elements like cameras and laptop screens, showcasing Hangzhou as a metropolis where tradition harmonises with innovation. Through this interplay, the film celebrates the vitality of cultural exchange and the boundless possibilities of imagination. The Métiers d’art collection has historically been more than a fashion event, and the 2024/25 showing will not be the exception; it’s a poetic journey through history, geography, and the artistry of human hands.
