On 27 September 2025, the Paris Opera inaugurated its new dance season at the Palais Garnier with the Opening Gala, supported by CHANEL as Major Patron. The House has backed this highlight since 2018 and, since 2023, has deepened its commitment to the Opera through both artistic and institutional support, including the restoration of its four sites and the creation of the Junior Ballet in 2024.
This year’s Gala featured Annabelle López Ochoa’s Requiem for a Rose and the timeless Giselle, followed by a dinner in the Grand Foyer. The Défilé du Ballet once again brought all generations of dancers on stage, with the Junior Ballet participating for the second time. CHANEL collaborated with the Opera’s ateliers and the Maison Lemarié to design exceptional feather- and camellia-embellished tutus for the young company, while Étoiles wore creations developed with Lesage.
By sustaining the Gala, CHANEL reaffirms its commitment to creativity, youth, and the dialogue between fashion and dance – a tradition rooted in Gabrielle Chanel’s own history with ballet. From her support of Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes in the 1910s and 1920s to designing costumes for Le Train bleu and later works, dance has long been central to the House’s artistic identity. This legacy was continued by Karl Lagerfeld and now Virginie Viard, who collaborate with contemporary choreographers and institutions worldwide.
Today, CHANEL extends its patronage globally, supporting initiatives such as New York’s BAAND Together Dance Festival, Camping Asia in Taipei, the English National Ballet, and The Australian Ballet. In Paris, the House has partnered on emblematic projects such as JR and Damien Jalet’s Chiroptera (2023) and Hofesh Shechter’s Red Carpet.
In 2025, the Opera also announced Nouvel Air, Nouvelle Ère, a major renovation programme starting in 2027, for which CHANEL is an Exceptional Patron.
