Chanel presents Metiers d'Art collection in Château de Chenonceau

Chanel has revealed its Metiers d'Art 2020/2021 collection at the Château de Chenonceau in France’s Loire Valley in what was a filmed spectacle sans audience due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

The cast, predominantly dressed in black, made their way down the castle's grand gallery with their black and white checkered sequin miniskirts matching the pattern of the chateau’s expansive floors, reminiscent of a life-size game of checkers.

Key looks included a long skirt in a fringed geometric tweed patchwork worn with a black and white jacquard sweater; a jacket with a wide lapel featuring floral embroidery inspired by Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de’ Medici; a long coat in black velvet which opens to reveal a suit-body in pale tweed; and a warm-hued tweed cape echoing the renowned tapestries of the castle.

The French luxury label’s creative director Virginie Viard described the location as an “obvious choice” for the show, which in previous years has taken place further afield in cities like New York and Moscow.

“It was designed and lived in by women, including Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de’ Medici. It is a castle on a human scale. And Catherine de’ Medici’s emblem was a monogram composed of two intertwined Cs, just like that of Chanel,” said Viard, who took over the creative reins of the label last year following the death of Karl Lagerfeld.

“We don’t know if Coco was directly inspired by her, but it is highly likely because she so admired Renaissance women. Her taste for lace ruffs and the aesthetic of certain pieces of her jewellery comes from there. Deep down, this place is a part of Chanel’s history.”

Photo credit: Juergen Teller