The brand says the collection “is a celebration of the history and the codes of the House of Chanel.”
Today, Chanel is unveiling its spectacular new campaign for its 2020 Métiers d’art collection, featuring an impressive roster of some of the world’s top models – and FASHION has the exclusive first look at the images.
Directed by the legendary Sofia Coppola, the campaign was shot by Melodie McDaniel in 31 rue Cambon and the apartment’s iconic mirrored staircase provides a stunning backdrop to the photographs. It’s fitting that both Coppola and the staircase should be involved in the campaign – when the collection was shown on the runway at the Grand Palais back in December, Virginie Viard worked with Coppola for the show’s decor, recreating Mademoiselle Chanel’s iconic apartment (including the staircase) for the event.
“We thought about the original shows that were held at 31 rue Cambon, and how great it must have been to see the models walking by so close, and the setting by Coco’s mirrored staircase, which always gives me a thrill to see,” says Coppola in a release.
Gigi Hadid, Mona Tougaard, Vittoria Ceretti, Rebecca Leigh Longendyke, Anna Ewers, Ola Rudnicka, Pan Haowen and Blesnya Minher feature in the campaign, which tells the story of a journey from the apartment to La Coupole in Paris, a restaurant frequented by the late Karl Lagerfeld and his friends for nights filled with fine fare and dancing.
The 2020 collection itself was the first Métiers d’art collection to be produced solely by Viard for Chanel following the passing of Lagerfeld last year. Of the collection, FASHION’s editor-in-chief, Bernadette Morra, who was at the show, wrote that Viard “respectfully riffed on Coco’s signatures with a dash of modern flash, thanks to the exquisite skills of beading and feather houses Lesage and Lemarie, which Chanel owns. There were sequined and lurex jumpsuits and coats sash-tied with lavish wheat beading, ribbons and chains. A black/white jacket split down the middle nodded to Chanel’s two-tone spectator pumps. A tie-dye effect, inspired by a pink tweed suit created by Gabrielle Chanel in 1960 and lined in black, blue, pink and mauve tie-dye, gave a nice jolt to tweed suits and a chiffon dress trimmed in feathers. Miniature bags were playfully worn as jewellery. A golden cage purse references a bird cage given to Coco by one of her seamstresses and remains in her apartment.” Many of these elements are seen in the pieces chosen for the campaign.
Fusing the legendary history of the house with Viard’s vision for the future of the maison, the 2020 Métiers d’art collection is one for the books.
The collection will be available to purchase from July 7.