Métiers D'art Collection - Made To Matter

For this season’s Métiers D’art collection, Chanel takes inspiration from the stunning design elements of the famous Le Château Des Dames in the loire valley

- Renee Batchelor

Few other brands marry tradition with modernity as well as the house of Chanel does. This is perhaps most evident in its ongoing work with various Métiers d’Art — small ateliers known for their specialised work in fashion, like embroidery, millinery and beading. No fewer than 36 of these workshops have been painstakingly acquired by Chanel since 1985, in order to preserve French savoir-faire and craftsmanship in the industry.

Since 2002, under the direction of the late Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel has been paying tribute to its Métiers d’Art with a yearly collection that celebrates the skill and heritage behind these traditional arts — which include pleating, feather-making, button-making, and glove-making — that would otherwise only be seen in haute couture collections or worse yet, lost completely over time. The brand’s dedication towards the preservation of these traditions has culminated in the creation of a soon-to-be-unveiled new property, 19M, as its new Métiers d’Art headquarters in Pantin, France. Again, the mix of old and new is reflected in the sleekly modern glass and steel structure that houses maisons that have existed since the 1800s, and continue to serve other couture houses today.