Chanel takes its Métiers d’art fashion show to Hangzhou’s West Lake, an iconic dream setting

The Parisian maison will dazzle next December 3 with its Métiers d’art 2024/25 collection at the legendary West Lake, a World Heritage Site.

Chanel has revealed new details about its long-awaited Métiers d’art 2024/25 fashion show. After iconic venues such as Dakar, Paris and Manchester, the Parisian fashion house has confirmed that its next collection will be presented on December 3 in Hangzhou, a vibrant city 200 kilometers south of Shanghai. The chosen setting is the legendary West Lake, located in the historic heart of the city.

This majestic lake, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011, is renowned for its breathtaking natural beauty. With a length of 15 kilometers and a diameter of three, the lake has been a source of inspiration for poets and artists for centuries, evoking an air of mystery and romanticism.

Chanel‘s connection to this place is not new. The Lake of the West figures in the splendid 19th century Coromandel lacquer screen that adorns the office of Gabrielle Chanel’s apartment at 31 rue de Cambon in Paris. According to the firm, this screen has been “an inexhaustible source of dreams and creativity” that fed the imagination of the legendary designer.

To amplify the anticipation around the event, Chanel has enlisted acclaimed German filmmaker Wim Wenders and its ambassador, Tilda Swinton. In an elegant short film, Wenders follows the actress from the iconic rue cambon office, where she gazes in fascination at the priceless Chinese screen, to the mythical lake in China. Chanel describes this production as “an invitation to a journey, both real and dreamlike,” which can be discovered in its entirety on November 30, 2024.

Although the event is loaded with symbolism and creativity, its choice is not merely artistic. China remains a strategic market for luxury brands, despite the recent slowdown in the sector following the Covid-19 pandemic. Hangzhou, in particular, is positioned as one of the ten key cities for luxury, alongside giants such as Beijing and Shanghai, consolidating its relevance in the global industry.