Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/1519536
BAL HARBOUR 55 BALHARBOURSHOPS.COM W hen considering Karl Lagerfeld's influence on Chanel, most people focus on fashion–the 2.55 flap bag, the sneakers, the themed run- ways, the recurring muses–but the designer's contributions to the brand's DNA are much greater than what he sent down the runway. They extend to the business and the way Lagerfeld transformed Chanel into a lifestyle. And one might argue that his most influential innovation is the Métiers d'ar t show. Star ted in 2002, the inaug ural show set new industry precedents: It was the first time a fashion house had fully showcased its network of specialty artisans–and let those crafts- men be the inspiration for a special runway show. It was revolution- ary for a fashion house to pull back the curtain and shine a light on the mysterious inner workings of the atelier. Provenance became synonymous with luxury. Now, Chanel's Artistic Director Virginie Viard carries on that legacy by taking a moment each year to pause and luxuriate in the details that turn a garment into a work of art. The annual show also unlocked a new production scale for couture with its global prerogative. Popping up from Dallas to Dakar, Métiers d'art introduced a peripatetic showmanship to the fashion calendar. Today, we take for granted that runway shows could pop up any where, but the blueprint will always be Métiers d'art and those first jet-set shows. The collection's nomadic nature can be traced back to its origin to make the international sources responsible for Chanel's excel- lence visible. (Today, 11 of the 40 specialt y craft houses Chanel employs can be found at 19M, the sprawling building the brand opened in Paris in 2021.) Connecting the dots across the world through runway shows, Métiers d'art created a new generation of patrons and muses more educated on, and connected to, the inner logics of the house and its community. Not only did Chanel custom- ers know that they loved the clothes, now they also had an informed appreciation and understanding of the sk illed labor and f ine P H OTO G R A P H Y © C H A N E L With its annual Métiers d'art show, Chanel asks us to pause and luxuriate in the details that turn a garment into a work of art. BY KAT HERRIMAN A WORLD IN A MOMENT