A FASHION EXCLUSIVE
A look inside the world of Chanel
Exclusivity is at the heart of any haute couture collection.
From its name to the rarity of the items in each collection — not to mention the perspective of the clients who ultimately purchase the handmade creations — scarcity spans this elite element of fashion in its entirety.
Frequently used as a blanket term internationally for custommade designs, haute couture is a legal designation in France given only to fashion houses or brands that are granted approval. In order to receive that nod, there is an arduous process of application and approval that involves meeting with the Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de Paris in order to ensure the house meets a specific set of criteria.
Criteria include, but are not limited to: creating made-to-order garments with at least one client fitting before completion; employing at least 20 full-time artisans in each atelier; presenting a collection of at least 50 garments (25 day and 25 evening looks) with the couture creations being shown each season. Additional specifications include that the entire collection must be created by the house’s main designer, with fabrication being done within the house’s ateliers in Paris.
To say that being granted — and maintaining — the rights to identify a collection as haute couture is an achievement is a bit of an understatement. And to have qualified for more than 100 years? Well, that’s just extraordinary.
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But that is exactly what the French fashion maison Chanel has done.
In 1915, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel opened her first haute couture boutique in Biarritz, building off the popularity she had procured with the revolutionary sportswear designs she sold at her Deauville shop in 1913. After moving her business to Rue Cambon in Paris in 1918, where the brand’s main creative workshops are still housed today, it was only a matter of time before the name Chanel became synonymous with high fashion and style.
While the brand’s scope of creation has changed — the company now boasts a robust global business including beauty, accessories, high jewelry and a ready-to-wear range introduced in 1978 — the creative vision has largely held true to Chanel’s original esthetic, with Karl Lagerfeld taking the role of artistic director since 1983.
On a sunny Tuesday during the first week of July, Lagerfeld presented his latest haute couture collection to press, clients and other “friends” of the brand in Paris.
Housed within the glass-ceilinged Grand Palais, the centrepoint of the fashion exhibition was a 38-metre reproduction of the Eiffel Tower.
The presentation was so well attended (even with a vastly edited-down guest list compared to the brand’s ready-to-wear presentations), it had to be shown twice — once in the morning and once in the afternoon.
In a year that’s been dubbed “The Year of Gabrielle,” in honour of the house’s founder, Lagerfeld’s creations were said to be inspired by a “revived Parisian woman.”
The inspiration translated into predictably stunning creations including tweed jackets cut as a long tunic rather than the iconic crop, flat-topped hats, voluminous peplum silhouettes, slim skirts, cropped wide-leg cuts, full-skirted gowns, and delicate plumes of feathers that bloomed from hemlines and cuffs.
It seemed an appropriate collection and theme for a year inspired by a woman who so dramatically impacted the world of fashion — then and now.
Seeing the completed ensembles on the runway, it was difficult to believe that, just one day prior, many of the looks lay, unfinished, on work tables in the various Chanel ateliers.
The historic fashion house boasts four ateliers: two “flou”, for the evening gowns and delicate fabrics such as tulle and organza, and two “tailleur” for tailoring. Residing on various upper floors of the flagship shop at 31 Rue Cambon, the naturally lit (and stark white) workshops were abuzz with activity in the final rundown to the runway show. It’s here that skilled men and women assemble the final looks using bits and pieces of garments, many of which, have been lovingly (and meticulously) crafted at one of the brand’s Métiers d’Art, a network of specialized suppliers the brand works with, and/or owns.
Chanel ateliers receive the sketches from Lagerfeld for the latest collection around six weeks before the show. The atelier premieres and their staffs are then tasked with creating the typically painstakingly detailed ensembles.
A suit takes approximately 200 hours to create; a day dress takes around 150 hours; and an evening gown takes at least 250 hours. The “bridal” gown can take up to 1,000 hours to create.
Lagerfeld’s sketches are all done on cotton fabric, with the fittings done on live fit models using the same, simple textiles. It’s not until much later that the actual delicate silks, tulles, feathers and tweeds are employed in the creations.
The pieces come together like big, beautiful puzzles.
No matter the time of year, the Chanel team is constantly at work on various custom designs. The haute couture show isn’t just a show; it’s an opportunity for the house’s approximately 1,000 couture clients to see, and shop. Ultimately, these collections are offered to the world’s top fashion customers who purchase the pricey pieces that are then handmade and expertly tailored to their exact measurements and specifications.
It’s said that Chanel’s top clients — many of whom attend the fashion shows in Paris — often choose their looks during the runway presentation, before visiting the haute couture salon the following day to make their final selections. (And, yes, there are several Canadian haute couture customers.)
While haute couture clients used to travel to Paris exclusively for purchasing and fitting, the growing international demand for haute couture creations has prompted the house to send its premiere ateliers to meet clients for fittings in their home cities.
And it’s here, at the purchasing stage, that the haute couture experience gets even more exclusive.
In the interest of preserving the rarity of a piece, especially as the demand for haute couture items grows, there are rules regarding where the designs are sold. For example, each dress is limited to approximately three or four copies. And if two clients in the same country are interested in the same dress, the house works to alter elements such as the embroidery or embellishments to ensure the pieces aren’t the same.
It’s said the clients sign exclusivity contracts with Chanel in order to ensure there are no clients with the same haute couture piece in the same city at least — often the exclusivity contract goes so far as to include the whole country, and even the continent. Sometimes, a client is so adamant about exclusivity, they purchase the garment immediately with the understanding that design will never be sold again. That ban also extends to the media, as some clients don’t want to see their chosen garment or look recreated in a magazine editorial.
While each couture client is welcome to make changes to the designs — altering elements such as fabrics, embroideries, or the length of a skirt or dress — Lagerfeld’s ultimate inspiration and design are respected and maintained.
In exchange for this exclusivity, couture clients can expect to wait.
After initially choosing their designs, customers have their first fitting with an atelier four or five weeks after the initial order. The first fitting is done in the real fabric, and major customizations and adjustments are then made. A second fitting, which takes place four or five weeks after the first, is used for finalizing and perfecting the garment’s fit. Three months is the typical production timeline for a haute couture creation at Chanel.
With a few select exceptions, of course.