Since its debut in 2020, the Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto retrospective continues to offer a profound exploration into the life and creative process of its trailblazing founder, Gabrielle Coco Chanel. With over 200 archival pieces on display, Chanel brings its most spellbinding creations to life—celebrating its founder’s illustrious career while taking visitors through its riveting history. While not the luxury Maison’s first exhibition series, the Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto is its first dedicated retrospective of its founder-couturier. Previously shown at the Palais Galliera in Paris and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the touring exhibition lands in Shanghai’s Power Station of Art this time.

Co-organised by the Palais Galliera and the Fashion Museum of Paris, the Gabrielle Chanel retrospective features a diverse presentation across haute couture, ready-to-wear and even a dedicated perfume room. Curated across two time periods, the chronological retrospective explores Chanel’s revolutionary impact on women’s fashion over six decades and highlights her most timeless designs.

The first chapter examines Chanel’s early work as she transitions from being a milliner to an established couturier from the 1910s to the 1930s. At a time when excessive details and hyper-feminine silhouettes dominated Western women’s fashion, Chanel went against the grain, and instead, produced androgynous designs characterised by minimalism and precision. Heavily inspired by menswear and sportswear, one of her most renowned creations during this time was the striped marinière that epitomised practical movement—liberating the female form from tight corsets and decorative frills. Also credited for inventing the concept of the little black dress or the “LBD”, other illustrious creations on display include embroidered blouses and the decadent Chanel N°5 perfume.

Eager to make a comeback after closing her stores during World War II, the second part of the exhibition takes visitors through the significant time period of 1954 to her last collection in 1971. In just five years, this momentous return to couture would see the debut of the luxury house’s most iconic creations—namely the matching tweed suit and skirt, two-tone pumps and the 2.55 quilted purse. Here, some of its most rarefied iterations are on display, like the original black 2.55 purse with gold chains and its earliest tweed suits. Exquisite pieces of costume jewellery were also showcased, with some paired with her signature lamé suits.

The Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto retrospective takes place from now till 24 November 2024.

This article was first seen on Elle Singapore.

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