Simply Abu Dhabi XXX

CHANEL C hanel’s latest Métiers d’art collection pre-fall 2018-19 was presented at the Hamburg Concert Hall, Germany, Karl Lagerfeld’s homeland. Conceived by the architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, the concert hall is the symbol of the Hamburg’s modernity and futuristic appeal. It was built on top of a tea and cocoa warehouse in typical Hamburg bricks and is 110 metres high with a roof that undulates like a wave. Monsieur Lagerfeld plays with the city’s merchant and navy roots and reinterprets them using the Chanel codes, revisiting their wardrobes of pea coats, drop-front trousers, sweaters, caps, sailor collars, fitted jackets, long redingotes, miniskirts and extra-wide trousers. As Lagerfeld says, Chanel’s Paris-Hamburg crew are “sailors who haven’t taken to the seas”. Tweed, broadcloth, cashmere, flannel, silk crêpe, chiffon and jersey are the textiles used to create this collection that transforms and enhances Hamburg’s navy roots. It’s a love letter that Lagerfeld dedicates to his homeland, the port; the marine influence mixed with an international, almost Nordic mood. The technology which has allowed speed of trading, by the containers that arrive by cargo ship every day and travel around the world. Every detail of the collection is a reference to this Nordic-marine world: the buttons in the shape of anchor bolts, braided woollen threads evolve into cordage while woven patterns recall the brick of buildings and bags resembling containers or life buoys. Black, beige, grey, navy blue, brick, pinstripes, flashes of gold and red make up a bold palette, perfect for a city like Hamburg—discreet yet rich, thriving on merchant power that is rooted in centuries.