Chanel Metiers d’Art 2022/2023, the show in Dakar

The debut in Africa

Not only. Although the fashion house with the double C, since the time of Lagerfeld (Metiers d’Art is an annual event that has been staged since 2002), is accustomed to fashion shows around the world – the last one was staged in Florence – it is also about the first fashion show of the brand in the sub-Saharan continent.

The mostly French artisan workshops of Chanel, which are based in the 19M building between Paris and the Porte d’Aubervilliers, have opened their doors to African “cousins” for the occasion: «True dialogues, nurtured over the long term, is this human and warm dimension that motivates my work and that I try to rewrite. I put my whole soul into it. The wonderful encounters from which artistic adventures like this are born are what drives me» explains the creative director Virginie Viard.

The collection

On the walkway-cloister of the building which in itself symbolizes the beating heart of French-speaking Africa, a Chanel show is staged which mixes the savoir-faire of the French Maison with clear references to the setting, colors and atmospheres of Africa. The classic tweed blends with tree and aboriginal motifs, geometric patterns and warm colors, and almost looks like a mosaic.

The suit, the true protagonist, is reinterpreted in key Seventies thanks to hems of sequins and lace, cropped jackets and flared trousers, but also embroidered wrap skirts worn over slipped trousers.

Animal print and denim contaminations blend with a joyful and pop taste. Belts as jewels, layering beaded necklaces and lion heads, as well as soaring platform sandals enhance the looks. A musical collection, which dances with the spirit of the decade, the codes of the House and the influences of the place.

Why Senegal

«The former Palais de Justice in Dakar, where not only the show but also a large part of the accompanying artistic program takes place, is one of the most beautiful places where we have ever presented a collection. It was an obvious choice, and it was also a source of inspiration.”

They might seem like words of circumstance, especially at a time when the debate is in full swing: fashion shows around the world, embezzlement, superfluous homage or spectacle for its own sake? The dresses designed by the Chanel ateliers for the show in Dakar answer the question, from the embroidery by Lesage and Montex to the feathers by Lemaire: the references are immediate but delicate, mere imitation rather leaves room for dreams and imagination. The Maison will also contribute to the renovation of the building, dating back to 1959.

A glamorous Paris-Dakar

«Going beyond the show, it is the event as a whole that I have taken into consideration. We’ve been thinking about it for three years. I wanted it to happen delicately and last over time, in a profound and respectful dialogue» says Viard. Therefore, not only a fashion show in an exceptional location, but also a way to celebrate the lively artistic scene of the Senegalese capital. Starting from the inspiration of the line, but also with a musical performance staged by the École des Sables and Dimitri Chamblas.

DBN Gogo, South African DJ and music producer, closed the show. And the Montfermeil and Dakar Kourtrajmé schools, free and specialized in training in the cinematographic sector, have documented the genesis of the collection in Paris, up to the date of the event, with 4 special micro films.

The culmination of the four-handed work? A show in collaboration with the Galerie du 19M, which will be held right at the former Palais de Justice in Dakar, venue of the fashion show, starting from January 2023, with the support of IFAN (Institut Fondamental d’Afrique Noire), before return to Paris again – a celebration of Senegalese tailoring. To take the lookbook photos of the collection right in the Ville Lumiere, the African photographer Malick Bodian and Ibrahim Kamala.

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