“In Goude We Trust!”, Chanel, Milan
In 1990, the art director Jean-Paul Goude produced an ad campaign for the Chanel perfume Egoïste. It became a cult classic and marked the beginning of a long partnership between the House of Chanel and Goude. The exhibition “In Goude We Trust!” explores these important years for creative advertising and includes familiar images from our collective imagination – most notably, those from Goude’s ad campaign for the perfume Chance. After its run at Nexus Hall in Tokyo last year, the exhibition is now on display in Milan’s splendid Palazzo Giureconsulti. Thomas du Pré de Saint Maur, head of creative resources for Chanel’s beauty, timepieces, and jewelry divisions, speaks to us about the show.
L’OFFICIEL ART: Since that first collaboration on the launch of Egoïste, Chanel and Jean-Paul Goude have worked together on many projects. Which, in your eyes, are the most important in this thirty-year period?
THOMAS DU PRÉ DE SAINT MAUR: I see three periods. First, that of beginnings, of an incredible vitality, of a feverish, exalted creativity, with the film ads Egoïste (1990), Coco (L’Esprit de Chanel) (1993), and Egoïste Platinum (1994) as high points. The second would be that of the perfume Chance, from the first film ad to the launch of Chance Eau Tendre – a period bursting with energy and youth, with perhaps even childish accents, or, simply put, an overwhelming effervescence. The third, then, would be that of the last film ads for Chance, from Eau Vive onward, a period that retains the freshness of beginnings, but is more representative, I think, of the root identity of Chanel: they are parables of play, risk, luxury, and the status of being one of the elect, of having been chosen. Then, in the background, there is this idea that perfectly matches the sensibility of the line of Chance perfumes – life is full of happiness.
Collaborations between fashion houses and artists are often very fruitful and produce remarkable results for the public, but also for the artists. Without a doubt, Chanel allows its commissioned artists to explore new terrain and modes of expression. What new vision of the company would you say Goude brought to Chanel?
Goude’s most notable contribution to Chanel, among a multitude of ideas, is that of lightness, of a certain irreverence, a jubilation – in short, the marks of youth. Lightness and irreverence are at the heart of the brand, but it’s difficult to talk about it, to express it. Gabrielle Chanel herself recognized this fact: lightness and irreverence aren’t forms of spontaneous expression in her creative universe. That’s the reason why we sometimes seem a little too serious. Then JeanPaul arrived, and without eroding any of this seriousness, without indulging in the ridiculous or fantastical, he added a bit of humor that exceeds the merely anecdotal. His talent is to meld the simplicity of images (images of a certain literalness) with an unexpected imaginative power in the choice of themes and their treatment, like the film ads in the Chance series — bowling, roulette, etc.
Although we criticize the fashion world from time to time for being too ephemeral, the connection between Chanel and Goude has stood the test of time, employing new technological tools over the years to express “the spirit of Chanel.” How would you define this quality, at once tangible and intangible? “The spirit of Chanel” is a mixture of rigor and freedom, of rules and choice – qualities that define the sensuality of the Chanel woman. Ideas of evasion, dreams, or escapism are not a part of the brand. The confrontation with the real is inseparable from the spirit of Chanel. The Chanel woman’s beauty, elegance, and seduction come from the fact that she lives by the rules, as long as they support her identity and her freedom.
“In Goude We Trust!”, an exhibition by Jean-Paul Goude, Palazzo Giureconsulti, Milan, November 15 – December 31, 2019.
Take Your Chance, a public dance competition, will take place over four days with a judging panel including Jean-Paul Goude and the choreographer Ryan Heffington. The first 500 dancers to sign up will be able to compete. Four winners will be selected through the audition process and will travel to Paris for Fashion Week, visiting the Opera Garnier and other Parisian landmarks.