Exhibition Organization and Content

Chanel will examine the history of the House of Chanel thematically, focusing on Chanel’s iconic designs and their iconographical details. Period examples will be juxtaposed with the work of designer Karl Lagerfeld, who in 1983 revitalized the spirit and identity of the house. It is Lagerfeld’s masterful and often irreverent citations of Chanel’s work, as well as his combination of influences from high and low culture, that re-articulate Chanel’s innovations. Through his interpretations and refinements, the historic importance of Chanel is both defined and asserted for the modern woman and the world in which she lives.

The exhibition will begin with a presentation of Chanel’s ground-breaking designs from the 1920s, including a jersey dress and cardigan coat, an early example of the sportswear principle of separates dressing. Her audacious use of jersey, at the time more commonly applied to men’s undergarments and swimwear, allowed for greater ease and comfort, the hallmarks of the Chanel style. By employing the virtuoso hand-sewn details of the couture, Chanel transformed this humble material into a luxurious fashion statement. Jersey was just one element borrowed from menswear—others included the use of the color black with contrasting white cuffs and collar, a reference to dandy fashions. In a 1920s suit that is featured in the exhibition, the white lining of the black jacket extends to the revers, or lapel facings, a typical Chanel detail that was taken from men’s military uniforms.

A modernist in the true sense of the word, Chanel ascribed primacy to function and materials. While a straight, linear silhouette characterizes her designs of the 1920s, her dresses of the 1930s appear more feminine and romantic. Also on display will be a series of works that reference Chanel’s inspirations, such as her famous "Gypsy" dress, with details borrowed from lingerie and underwear. Even in these languid gowns, however, Chanel asserted her modernism by revealing their construction—exposing the seams and other "mechanics" of the garments.

Chanel not only established the canon of modern dress, but she determined a typology of clothing styles, such as beach and evening pajamas, the chemise dress, the little black dress, the two- or three-piece suit, and evening dress that combined both tailoring and dressmaking practices. A wide array of these "icons" of design will be on display, as well as such signature accessories as the quilted bag, the two-tone pump, the gilt chain belt, pearl necklaces, and crystal Maltese and Byzantine crosses. The exhibition will also focus on the iconography of the Chanel style that, over time, have come to include bows, stars, camellias, and lion heads. (The lion was Coco Chanel’s astrological symbol; she was born on August 19th.) Just as much as in her fashions, these motifs asserted Chanel’s creativity and individuality, promoting a design vocabulary that is both instantly distinguishable and instantly recognizable.

The exhibition will be comprised of a series of architectonic modules in a strict modernist grid, as devised by the creative consultant Olivier Saillard. Each module will address iconic Chanel designs, iconographic details that have become indelibly associated with the House of Chanel, or materials and techniques that are Chanel signature elements. Video wallpaper projections by the artist Marie Maillard will give a poetic vision to the presentation of mannequins in several modules, underscoring their conceptual presentation. More assertively, video cubes in the same dimensions as the modules will be interspersed in the grid: their walls will appear dematerialized with projections that introduce design details and concepts that have come to characterize the House.

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