In these years when Paul Poiret dominated women’s fashion, Gabrielle Chanel, in 1912, went to Deauville, then to Biarritz and Paris, to revolutionize the world of couture, to imprint on the bodies of her contemporaries a true fashion manifesto.
Chronological, the first part evokes its beginnings with some emblematic pieces including the famous 1916 jersey sailor top; it invites you to follow the evolution of Chanel’s chic style: from little black dresses and sporty models from the Roaring Twenties to sophisticated dresses from the 1930s. A room is dedicated to N ° 5 created in 1921, the quintessence of the spirit of “Coco” Chanel.
Alongside the course articulated in ten chapters, ten photographic portraits of Gabrielle Chanel punctuate the scenography and affirm how much the seamstress has embodied her brand. Then comes the war, the closing of the fashion house; only remains in Paris at 31, rue Cambon, the sale of perfumes and accessories. Next come Christian Dior and the New Look, the corseted style she challenges; Gabrielle Chanel reacted with her return to couture in 1954 and, against the grain, reaffirmed her fashion manifesto.
Thematic, the second part of the exhibition invites you to decipher your dress codes: braided tweed suit, two-tone pump, 2.55 quilted bag, black and beige of course, but also red, white and gold … not to mention costume jewelry and high jewelry essential to the silhouette of Chanel.
Gabrielle Chanel. Manifeste de mode occupies an area of nearly 1,500 m2 – including the new galleries open on the ground floor. On a route marked out by more than 350 pieces from the Galliera collections, the Heritage of CHANEL, international museums – the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the De Young Museum in San Francisco, the Museo de la Moda in Santiago de Chile, the Antwerp MoMu … and private collections, this exhibition is an invitation to discover a timeless universe and style.
Exhibition organized with the support of CHANEL
COMMISSIONERS
Miren Arzalluz, director of the Palais Galliera
Véronique Belloir, collection manager,
With the team of curators from the Palais Galliera
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Olivier Saillard, fashion historian
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