Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto Exhibition

The Palais Galliera, the fashion museum of Paris, was unfortunately closed for two years for an expansion of its space. It was just reopened last Friday, in tandem with Paris Fashion Week, with a bang of a new show, Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto Exhibition. The believe it or not, first retrospective of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, shows over 350 pieces, which are mostly chronologically displayed in this extensive exhibition that takes over the entire museum, including the newly christened lower level space.

The exhibition starts with the early life of Chanel in 1912, when she began to conquer the male dominated world of couture in Paris, by opening her first boutique in Deauville, followed by Biarritz, and finally Paris. She catered to fashionable women of the day who weren’t afraid to bend the rules with her refreshing new take on the female form. 

The first part of the exhibition focuses on her early, free flowing and soft silhouettes from the mid-1920s, evoking a new, sporty look. Next the Roaring 20s comes into play, with sumptuous and luxurious daytime dresses and slinky evening gowns. Moving into the 1930s, the designs take on a new sophistication bringing Chanel into the role of a serious couturier. 

A separate room has a display of the original of the first version of the Chanel No. 5 perfume bottle from 1921 floating in a piece of glass.

Chanel closed her Paris shop in 1939 because of WWII, and moved into the Ritz Hotel, where she had an affair with a Nazi General. She later collaborated with the Nazis and became a spy for them, and in 2014, French intelligence agencies declassified and released documents confirming her activity with the Germans. She moved to Switzerland in 1945, and at age 70, in 1954, she reopened her shop and couture house again on the rue Cambon. 

The second part of the exhibition is in the lower level. This is where the exhibit hits its stride and you see the movement into Chanel’s signature and future iconic pieces including the knitted suits, the first Chanel shoe, the eponymous beige sling back with a black leather tip, and the first Chanel bag in black with the chain strap. The centerpiece of one of the rooms downstairs is a showcase displaying Chanel jewelry. I thought the contrast of her understated clothes with the extravagant, sometimes even gaudy jewelry was interesting. 

The exhibit was dazzling and well curated and I also liked the fact that it focused solely on Coco Chanel’s creations, not those of Karl Lagerfeld. (I have no problem with Karl Lagerfeld and I think a separate exhibit for his designs for Chanel would be great.) The only slight disappointment was that there was only one display of a pair of shoes and one bag, which I longed to see more of. 

Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto Exhibition

Until March 14, 2021

Palais Galliera

10, Avenue Pierre Ier de Serbie 75116

https://www.palaisgalliera.paris.fr/en/exhibitions/gabrielle-chanel-fashion-manifesto

**Reservations must be made online to enter. The entry times are staggered every 15 minutes for safety reasons due to Covid-19

Please watch my latest A Bite of Paris video, where I make and bake a Dark, Chocolate, Chestnut Cake.

Click here to watch the video.

 

Comments

[Bonnie]

Thanks Richard
Since I won't be able to get there to see it in person, I appreciate all the pictures you took of the exhibit

[Maria Trenzado]

Merci bien, Richard, for allowing us a glimpse to the exhibition.

[Vickie Austin]

This posting is delicious and revelatory. I did not know, or chose to repress, that Chanel was a Nazi sympathizer. How can I ever enjoy a black compact with those ubiquitous "CC" entwined initials again? Any one of the gowns/dresses/suits featured here could be worn today. How can someone have that kind of timeless appeal but still be, well, a monster? I will not buy any Chanel couture... or compacts.