Such is the pace of the fashion industry that not very often those working tirelessly to seam the clothes to perfection under tight deadlines and to the exactitude of the designer’s asking are ever saluted in public. Chanel’s creative chief Virginie Viard, however, thinks differently – and that’s a good thing. After all, she has spent decades being the right-hand woman of Karl Lagerfeld and being the middle person between the Chanel workshops and the Kaiser. Now that she is in full control of Chanel’s extensive network of artisans, she has taken the liberty to celebrate the people who have had her back all these years in creating some of the most beautiful garments that set the tone for high fashion in modern day. This brings us to Chanel’s Metiers d’Art 2021/22 show which took place at a new lavish Rudy Ricciotti-designed real estate called Le19M (located between the municipality of Aubervilliers and the 19^th arrondissement of Paris), the heart of the fashion house’s highly regarded savoir-faire and where it stores all of its high fashion secrets including jewellery and hats. 600-plus staff calls this 25,500-square metre ground their workplace, from embroiderers and goldsmiths to shoemakers and leatherworkers. Chanel has brought together 11 equally storied specialist companies to Le19M, creating a truly integrated high fashion hub and resource centre that only Chanel is able put together in this day and age. Viard’s vision for the Metiers d’Art 2021/22 collection might be lacking a storyline that weave the designs together but don’t take this as a weakness as she has again delivered on serious wardrobe hits that are easily integrated into any Emily in Paris fangirl’s OOTD. A strong array of cardigans affixed with winning double-C logos in all shapes and shine, knit Bermuda shorts, two-tone Mary-Janes, embellished tulle skirts, tweed casual jackets and coats, embroidered leather down jacket, and boater hats all look right on the money for the fashion house. Even the multi-coloured feather work on some dresses puts a contemporary spin on an age-old craft, matching those Pollock-esque paint drips spotted on another tulle dress. The bling-friendly hardware, too, makes no apologies for its steadfast multi-layered wear with Viard continuing the tradition for long necklaces and intricate chain belts. The designer was also humble enough to state that that some of the outfits were loosely inspired by the architecture of Le19M though it wouldn’t be blasphemy to think that the building’s blueprint was instead inspired by the codes of the fashion house. If anything, the Metiers d’Art 2021/22 collection deserves plaudits for showcasing a rare awareness of balancing craft and commercial objectives whilst giving a tip of the hat to the mysterious folks behind its creation.

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