In the spacious corridor supported by wooden pillars and the huge courtyard full of green plants, models with different skin colors shuttle gracefully through this ancient building. Located in Dakar, the capital of Senegal known as the “City of Art”, the legendary former Palais de Justice carries the strong cultural atmosphere of the African continent and ushered in a new event, A literary dialogue across Europe and Africa – Chanel 2022/23 Métiers d’art CHANEL – DAKAR. Colorful colors, diverse tailoring and exquisite geometric embroidery flashed and staggered in the space, and culture and creativity collided with sparks in the “tropical oasis” of the former Justice Palace.
As the origin of modern humans recognized by naturalists and anthropologists, Africa has a free and enthusiastic multicultural image, pointing to the endless primitive power. The rhythmic music performed by Senegalese pop singer Obree Daman and the Angels Voice Gospel choir, as well as the energetic performances presented by dancers from the École des Sables Dance Academy, are undoubtedly a seamless combination of contemporary and traditional African art. The 2022/23 Advanced Handcrafts Series show is slowly kicking off. Virginie Viard, the artistic director of Chanel, said in admiration that the former Justice Palace in Dakar is one of the most beautiful and moving Chanel show venues. One of the sources of inspiration for the series.
Dakar has inherited the unfettered freedom of the African continent, and at the same time blended with the surging creative enthusiasm of the local people, creating its unique cultural charm. Via recalled: “Three years ago, I suddenly had a whim. Some friends around me either lived in Dakar or were preparing to start an art project, so they had the idea of moving the fashion show to the local area. Some real dialogues around art, after a long period of time I put all my soul into it, trying to bring this feeling into the design. Wonderful cross-cultural encounters lead to the birth of artistic adventures—this is my motivation. ”The 2022/23 Advanced Workshop series is not only the starting point for connecting Chanel and Dakar. The brand is located in the Paris handicraft base le19M. Later, it even specially resides in the village of Dakar, carrying out cultural exchanges and creative dialogues for several months, promoting the local The craftsmanship of embroidery and weaving is passed down. The brand also promises to assist in the restoration of the former Palace of Justice, an architectural gem, and has jointly initiated and sponsored a number of entrepreneurial programs with Senegalese institutions and experts, including craftsmanship inheritance and the use of regenerative farming methods for raw materials. Weiya mentioned that she was not only considering the fashion show itself, but the whole of the three-day event, hoping to continue the “fleeting moments of beauty and dreams” brought by the fashion show, and to celebrate the vigorous art of this cultural capital atmosphere.
Returning to the scene of the Chanel 2022/23 Métiers d’Art series, it seems that time has turned back to the 1970s, and I sway my body with music such as soul music, funk, disco, rock, etc., to welcome the instant burst of energy, when a hundred flowers bloomed The free and emancipatory trend of thought is exactly the same as that of Dakar, and it cleverly serves as the main axis running through the workshop series. The model wears bell-bottom trousers, loose-fitting knitted sweater, and platform shoes that symbolize freedom and unrestrainedness, echoing Chanel’s unconventional genes and conveying the spirit of rebellion to the depths of people’s hearts. Colorful geometric totems and leopard prints compete to catch the eye, adding a touch of exoticism to the brand; classic elements such as tweed, intertwined pearls, gorgeous jewelry buttons and shiny beads, black and white lace, As always, occupy an important seat.
Traveling to more than 20 large and small cities around the world, most of the sites selected for the Chanel workshop series show in the past will have close emotional or practical ties with Ms. Chanel or the then art director. Putting aside the shackles of the past, this century-old legendary brand took us on a journey to West Africa for the first time. There is neither a deep historical connection nor a relationship between the market and business development. However, Chanel has always been consistent, relying on a spirit of constantly subverting traditions to surpass itself. After three years of brewing, Chanel conveyed to us the unique African culture, and transformed into a more gorgeous butterfly, leaving an epoch-making imprint.
