Chanel's 2024/25 Metiers d'art collection is inspired by Hangzhou, a city known for its rich cultural heritage, and features subtle Chinese elements. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The fluidity of water is reflected in velvet reworked with Chanel's signature camellias; delicate pleats evoke the folds of traditional Chinese fans. Materials like silk and lacquer-inspired textures nod to the city's role as a crossroads of tradition and innovation.

Over 1,000 guests attended the show, with about 600 from China, including 100 from Hangzhou, and 400 from other parts of the world. The event commenced with a Chinese drum performance. Notable personalities such as German director Wim Wenders, British actress Tilda Swinton, and Chinese actresses Zhou Xun and Xin Zhilei, among others, arrived at the runway on the lake by traditional boats crossing the West Lake.

Chanel enlisted Wenders in May to direct a film featuring the actresses.

"Traveling to Hangzhou revealed that one of Chanel's Chinese lacquer screens was a huge map, a replica of the city, especially its most famous attraction — the West Lake area — with hundreds of little bridges and paths zigzagging a big body of water, a vast nature reserve full of wildlife and the richest variety of plants and trees," says the director.

"It is a real maze, and you can easily lose yourself in it and on it. I love maps and discovering landscapes, so I wrote a story about this enigmatic place and the secret link it has with Paris. I love treating cities and landscapes as active participants in a story. You may realize how many of my films carry their places in the titles. Places have great storytelling power. I tried to listen to Hangzhou and the West Lake for their input."

Swinton says Chinese lacquer screens serve as an ancient cinema screen of awe-inspiring detail and atmosphere.

"I think how the residents of the city take such active pride in their environment struck me particularly. When we went to shoot on the lake at 8 on Sunday morning, there were already many boats on the water, people looking not unlike their ancestors depicted in Chanel's Chinese lacquer screens, steering their craft in and out of the water lilies, underneath the willow trees."

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.