French craftsmanship in the capital of Senegal? What at first glance seems contradictory became reality with Chanel’s Métiers d’Art Show 22/23 in Dakar, when the traditional luxury fashion house presented a catwalk collection on African soil for the first time on Tuesday.
The fashion house aims to combine its craftsmanship with “the city’s artistic energy and cultural life,” Chanel said when announcing the trip to Dakar in June. The backdrop for the fashion show was the former palace of justice in the Senegalese capital, which is now the home of the Dak’Art Biennale and thus one of the artistic centers of the metropolis. Local and international celebrities – including Nix, a Senegalese rapper, and his American colleague Pharrell – gathered here to witness Creative Director Virginie Viard’s collection.
1970s folklore and Chanel hippies
Those expecting Senegalese craftsmanship or traditional clothing won’t find it at Chanel, as the Métiers d’Art collection – whose main aim is to celebrate the House’s craftsmanship – has been made in France and draws on classic Chanel motifs: tweed, Bouclé, quilted bags and Gabrielle Chanel’s favorite flowers, the camellias. There were also 1970s influences such as long, flared pants and narrow coats, shoes with platform soles, knitted dresses and tunics, which turned the classic Chanel woman into a kind of elegant hippie.
The colors of the collection – including a lot of white and black as well as bright, strong colors like red, orange and green – were the most likely to suggest a connection to the African continent. The fashion house cited “the pop-soul-funk-disco-punk decade” as the inspiration behind the collection.
Chanel and the cultural heritage of Senegal
The focus of the trip to Dakar was not only fashion but also the country’s cultural heritage, although there were no references to be found in the collection itself. The show opened with Senegalese singer Obree Daman and a choir and dancers from Germaine Acogny’s École des Sables, directed by French choreographer Dimitri Chamblas. Chanel also asked students from two film schools in Paris and Dakar to document the fashion show.
In January, the Galerie du 19M will move to Dakar to celebrate the “diversity of embroidery and weaving crafts” together with the Institut fondamental d’Afrique noire. As with the fashion house’s Métiers d’Art collections, the aim here is to promote the transfer of specialist knowledge.
Chanel has often visited countries far from France, but so far has mostly been in the footsteps of Gabrielle Chanel. The current trip to Senegal was planned for several years. “I didn’t just consider the fashion show, but the event as a whole. We thought about it for three years,” says Virginie Viard. “I wanted it to be gentle, over several days where we have a deep, respectful dialogue.” The choice is a bold one considering France’s colonial history, as Senegal also once belonged to the French Empire.