The following piece is published as part of our TLM Young Writers series, a dedicated section of The London Magazine‘s website which showcases the work of exceptional young talent aged between 13-21, from the UK and beyond.

Adelaide Ng

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Gabrielle Channel: Fashion Manifesto

Perhaps it might be an overstatement that, today, every woman wants a Chanel suit – yet this was certainly true for women in a post-war world. As an icon of modern femininity, Gabrielle Chanel, holds a fascinating influence that has withstood time and trends, inspiring even a musical in dedication. With its combination of avant-garde beauty and austere luxury, Chanel is a brand that unites women in the conversations on fashion.

The first UK exhibition dedicated to the French couturière, Gabrielle Chanel: Fashion Manifesto, displays a carefully curated selection of her formidable body of work, charting the evolution of her design style spanning the 1910s through to the 1950s. From the vast array of lace dresses and inspired mini black dresses, to the iconic line of CHANEL N°5, the exhibit offers an enchanting experience, to say the least.
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The show introduces her career as one undertaken in the context of a tumultuous political period. Unmoored by her childhood as an orphan, Chanel was extraordinarily bold, possessing a tenacity and creativity that surpassed the bounds of fashion at the time. Despite the mass of media attending to both her personal and professional life, her transformation into an immensely successful business woman remains enigmatic, as echoed by the exhibition. Scarcely legible letters written by Chanel during WWII are placed on display and the show skims over her relationship with Hugh Grosvenor, prior Duke of Westminster (also a notorious antisemite), recounting an, ultimately, cryptic narrative for viewers.
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The collection of clothing on display is comparatively generous to the letters: cumulatively more than a hundred suits, dresses, handbags, jewellery — a treasure cove of sartorial elegance and adorned fashion that left me genuinely breathless, but with a slight twinge of envy. With the display of the emblematic tweed suit sets, the exhibit emboldens Chanel’s concept of interweaving traditions of masculinity with femininity, in light of a burgeoning era of post-war modern feminism. Though the design of the suit was remade countlessly, the fabric and silhouette remained an essential focus; she toyed with supple garments that encouraged freedom of movement in lieu of padding and stiffening, crafting a look that entwined minimalistic comfort with regal grace.
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A diverse selection of other pieces was presented in addition to the classic styles; among such was a focus on pieces of the vibrant Chanel shade of reddish-maroon. What’s interesting is that even though these piece are realised in entirely different forms (one manufactured with a sort of ruched, velvet cape quality, and another as a statement leather dress, seaming together a buckled top with a plaid midi-skirt), they’re instantly recognisable as products of the brand. As with the rest of the displayed outfits, Chanel’s designs are aesthetically palettable, achieving a fine balance of constraint and abundance.
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In the final room of the exhibit lies a beguiling spectacle of gowns and the most glamorous set of pyjamas — all part of Chanel’s final collection that was publicised two weeks after her death. With this, the exhibit puts on a beautiful concluding display that honours a visionary woman in fashion.
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Adelaide Ng is a student at Brown University. She writes about the arts, fashion, and music.

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