Runway to Reality: Chanel’s Metiers d'Art Runway Collections
Introduced by the late Karl Lagerfeld in 2002, the annual Chanel Metiers d'Art collections are nothing short of iconic in more ways than one. The collections are referred to as “demi-couture” because of their positioning directly between ready-to-wear and haute couture classifications. Chanel’s truly unique runway shows are presented in place of a traditional pre-fall collection and beyond that defy all fashion catwalk norms.
Typically inspired by a new city every year, Lagerfeld's iconic pre-fall collections embody the chosen locale's culture and aesthetic through the emulation of signature colors, materials, and motifs. The cities are selected in homage to Coco Chanel’s life or to signify Karl Lagerfeld’s interpretation of the house’s future. Even the runway show locations exhibit grandeur and are often held in symbolic or historic settings.
The French name Metiers d'Art roughly translates to “craftsmanship” or “art professions" - aptly named due to the meticulous work of ateliers that create each piece included in these shows. There are numerous ateliers included in Chanel’s Paraffection subsidiary with each one responsible for a unique aspect of the construction- down to an atelier specializing solely in pleating. It all goes to show that the work is painstaking, the materials are quality, and the production quantities are limited.
In a world of fast-fashion and ever-changing trends, Chanel’s Metiers d'Art collections act as an annual reset to bring quality craftsmanship back to the forefront and to preserve fashion as a work of art. Our buyers are constantly sourcing from these incredible collections and we are lucky enough to have a few of the rare and collectible pieces available now.
See below for a full timeline of themes & locations.
Pre-Fall 2003: Satellite Love on Rue Cambon Street in Paris, France
Pre-Fall 2004: Cinq à Sept on Rue Cambon Street in Paris, France
Pre-Fall 2005: Paris-Tokyo at Chanel’s Ginza Building in Tokyo, Japan
Pre-Fall 2006: Paris-New York at Chanel’s 57th Street store in NYC, New York
Pre-Fall 2007: Paris-Monte Carlo at the Monaco Opéra in Monte-Carlo, Monaco
Pre-Fall 2008: Paris-London on 9 Howick Place in London, England
Pre-Fall 2009: Paris-Moscou at Théâtre le Ranelagh in Paris, France
Pre-Fall 2010: Paris-Shanghai at Barge le long du Bund in Shanghai, China
Pre-Fall 2011: Paris-Byzance on Rue Cambon Street in Paris, France
Pre-Fall 2012: Paris-Bombay at La Galerie Courbe in Paris, France
Pre-Fall 2013: Paris-Edinburgh at Linlithgow Palace in Edinburgh, Scotland
Pre-Fall 2014: Paris-Dallas at Dallas Fair Park in Dallas, Texas
Pre-Fall 2015: Paris-Salzburg at Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron in Salzburg, Austria
Pre-Fall 2016: Paris-Rome at Cinecittà in Rome, Italy
Pre-Fall 2017: Paris-Cosmopolite at The Ritz in Paris, France
Pre-Fall 2018: Paris-Hamburg at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Germany
Pre-Fall 2019: Paris-Egypt at the 10 B.C. Temple of Dendur at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, New York
Pre-Fall 2020: Paris-31 Rue Cambon at Grand Palais on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, France**
Pre-Fall 2021: Le Château des Dames at the Château de Chenonceau in Chenonceaux, France**
Pre-Fall 2022: Métiers d’Art Preservation at the le19M Building in Paris, France**
** designed with Virginie Viard as creative director