Creations of the Metiers d'art collection. [Photo provided to China Daily]

"Seeing Hangzhou embrace its heritage while remaining innovative reminded me of the importance of preserving artisan techniques. It's not just about looking back but about re-imagining these crafts for contemporary clients. The city's harmony between nature and urban life also inspired me to think more holistically about design — how clothing, like art, can transport and transform us."

Kocher's Chinese colleague Max Luo Zijun demonstrated the craftsmanship and showed his work in a jumpsuit. The 31-year-old Chengdu-born designer joined Lemarie in 2016 after he graduated from Central Saint Martins in London, engaging in Chanel's Metiers d'art collections.

"It's happy to join this collection for Hangzhou. It's easier when the inspiration comes from my home culture, blending with Chinese aesthetics," says Luo.

The choice of Hangzhou for the show was not only because of the coromandel of West Lake but also because the city is well-known for its silk.

Chanel regarded this precious fabric as a treasure. Over the past 80 years, raw materials to make silk fabrics for Chanel have almost all come from China.

Challenges ahead

As for Bruno Pavlovsky, president of Chanel Fashion and president of Chanel SAS, the brand not only chooses Hangzhou but also China.

Its last major show in China was in 2009 with Karl Lagerfeld, Pavlovsky says, adding that they had planned something special for China before COVID-19.

"We want to find a specific way to come back, different from what we have done before, opening boutiques," says Pavlovsky who has visited the city four times since the first time the brand opened a boutique in Hangzhou in 2009.

"Hangzhou is a city mixing tradition and modernity with Alibaba and Tmall. Combined with the local traditions of silk and lacquer, it's a place where craftsmanship meets storytelling."

The preservation of these age-old techniques handed down through generations contrasts with the seamless experience one encounters during meetings at a hotel, much like in any other Western city, he adds.

He says the collection inspired by Hangzhou is a shining collection everywhere, for every customer, and it brings a part of China to the rest of the world.

Pavlovsky describes Chinese clients as "entrepreneurs, not housewives" who spend money in boutiques and wear designer, well-crafted dresses like models, and make choices for themselves.

He says Chinese clients are no different from anywhere else. "Women are more independent, from housewives to modern women, working for themselves and spending their money."

As for the slowing economy, he says: "It's not only Chanel that is affected. We have to be realistic and deal with it."

But he is still positive about Chanel's performance, saying the brand has experienced double-digit growth worldwide in the past three years, which means new customers.

While referencing Alibaba and Tmall, Pavlovsky says Chanel connects people on social media but does not sell online, "because Chanel's value is more than just a click".

"We don't do e-commerce, except for fragrance and beauty. We could, but we don't want to. We are not trying to sell more. We are trying to sell better, which means that we want to have a strong relationship with our clients, and that means the boutique. It's by choice. It's not about (online platform) challenges," he says.

"In Hangzhou, I see people coming to our boutique, which gives us more energy. It is quite important to always focus on how to offer the best experience for our clients, advising while they are shopping."

He says that in the showroom, clients are invited to see the collection up close, to touch and feel the items and to experience the craftsmanship.

"We will continue to develop our business step by step, not in a hurry, not trying to go fast," he says, adding that it is important to consistently provide the finest service, engagement and brand timing to the clientele.

Yu Xiaoou contributed to this story.