This week Chanel revealed its latest Métiers d'Art collection in the Senegalese capital of Dakar – and simultaneously made history as the first European luxury brand to host a fashion show in Sub-Saharan Africa. And what a way to do it: never one to do things by halves, Chanel put on one of its glitziest, grandest and most spectacular shows to date, the jewel in the crown of its three-day programme of events.
Taking place just after the twentieth edition of Dakar Fashion Week (Africa's longest-running fashion event), the Métiers d'Art show acted as a celebration of – and contribution to – Dakar's vibrant cultural scene. Artistic director Virginie Viard and the wider Chanel team spent the best part of three years putting the event together, the idea itself being born from a conversation with friends of the House who have lived and carried out artistic projects in the city.
'I wanted it to happen gently, over several days of deep, respectful dialoguing,' explains Viard. 'Real dialogues, nourished over the long term... It is this human and warm dimension that motivates my work and that I try to re-transcribe. I put all my soul into it. These marvellous encounters from which artistic adventures like this one are both, that's what drives me.'
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Held in the former Palais de Justice in the centre of Senegal's capital city, the Métiers d'Art show drew a guest list of 850, including the likes of Pharrell Williams, Naomi Campbell, Nile Rodgers and Princess Caroline of Monaco, alongside a whole host of local luminaries who stole the FROW show in their distinctive looks.
Following a joyous opening performance by local singer Obree Daman and dancers from the École des Sables, look after glorious look emerged displaying the immense talent of the specialist artisans and craftspeople who make up Chanel's 'Maisons d'Art'. Plant motifs, geometric shapes, intricate embroideries and sparkling sequins decorated the likes of long coats, colourful tweeds and must-have accessories, beautifully blending Chanel's signature aesthetic with a Seventies slant that pays homage to Senegalese style.
The 2022/23 Métiers d'Art collection look book was shot by Senegalese photographer Malick Bodian, while a series of videos documenting the event have been produced by filmmaker Ladj Ly and students from the Kourtrajmé school in Montfermeiland.
Clementina Jackson is Acting Site Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, working across news and features, trends, e-commerce and SEO. She was previously Fashion Editor at Cosmopolitan and Women’s Health, and Acting Digital Fashion Editor at ELLE UK, where she was named as a PPA 30 Under 30 award winner for her work on size inclusivity. An experienced fashion, travel and luxury lifestyle journalist, Clementina has also written for Harper’s Bazaar, Vanity Fair, Condé Nast Traveller, Tatler, Red and Italy Segreta.
