With its last Métiers d’Art presentation, the show that celebrates the craftsmanship of the Maison's artisans, Chanel has literally made history, for so many reasons. The show was presented in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, to some 800 guests from Africa and the rest of the world, and it is already considered a milestone, not only for the French brand, but for the world of fashion itself.

This was the first ever show by Chanel in Africa, and the first fashion show, by any European or American fashion house, in sub-Saharan Africa. Yet this was not a matter of geography. Senegal was once part of the French empire, and for Chanel to go to a country it shares no common fashion roots with, a place with its own, now thriving fashion culture, was a bold step.

Yet, Chanel did it. And it showed that such an endeavor can be a celebration of fashion and people, rather than another folklore manifestation of inspiration from an exotic place. This was not just a fashion show. It was a 3-day festival that highlighted Senegal's creatives. It followed the Dakar's fashion week and included guided tours to places such as the Gorée island, once a hub of the African slave trade, or to local artisan markets. It also came with plans that Chanel will continue to work with Senegalese creatives, through its 19M specialty hub.

With such a sensitive approach, the clothes of the Métiers d’Art collection were not bluntly Senegal inspired, just for the sake of a concept. According to Virginie Viard, they were inspired by the pop-soul-funk-disco-punk decade of the ‘70s, and it discreetly interweaved elements of the Senegalese culture in the fabrics and the materials, rather than showing them off. The lion motif, a reference both to the sign of Coco Chanel and to the emblem of Senegal, was present on jewelry and bags, but the collection was mostly casual and effortless, exuding a feeling of freedom.

Lots of pants - flared, denim, knit -, elaborate layering, for instance with a beaded vest over a bouclé jacket, with a tunic over a pair of jeans, or with a beaded skirt over neutral colored pants. There were also a lot of rich colors, in a most obvious nod to the Senegalese tradition. Cocktail dresses and sequined pieces, as well as crochet lace, were also there; designs harmoniously interweaved into the rest of the collection.

A perfectly balanced event, as the words of Chanel's ambassador Pharrell Williams who was also present, comment: “There’s serendipity in it being a French maison, and coming back to a place that was once colonized by the French, with a sense of equity… it’s a super-beautiful exercise in humanity.”