The special aesthetic and historical significance of the Château des Dames is very well known between those who appreciate the sumptuous fragments of the glorious past and the stories, hidden or otherwise, that permeate the long fabric of time. The Château gave Virginie Viard a glimpse into the majestic world of the 16th century, as well as its associations with powerful female figures of the time, such as Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici. Meanwhile the Château’s reminiscence of Gabrielle Chanel’s La Pausa inspired the brand’s creative director to give life to a collection that combines the allure of a long lost culture with CHANEL’s very essence.

The Métiers d'Art collection, an occasion dedicated by definition to exquisite craftsmanship, was the perfect “excuse” for Virginie Viard to transmute the castle’s bits and pieces, from tapestries and flower motifs to elements taken from its kitchens, into prints and embroideries beautifully applied to the carefully designed and executed creations. Goth princess looks, embellished jackets, lycra leggings, armor-like dresses, intricate knits, oversized tweeds, capes and playfully romantic skirts form a plethoric mosaic of old and new references brilliantly coinciding in a common place of beauty and balance. Viard’s influence from Karl Lagerfeld’s fall 1983 collection resulted in a 3D kind of sequin and satin ball skirts, delivered thanks to the house of Montex, one of the 38 Maison d’ Art suppliers that CHANEL has acquired through the years.

Where simplicity meets maximalism is where modern fashion miracles happen. Virginie Viard found an ingenious way to merge classicism with contemporary streetwear and she did so seamlessly. We cannot wait to see what the future holds.