Behind The Seams

Chanel’s annual Métiers d’Art collection showcases the skill sets of the small specialised ateliers under its subsidiary, Paraffection. Daphne Chen-Cordeiro heads to Hamburg in Germany for the show and discovers the beauty and business behind this savoir faire.

- Daphne Chen-Cordeiro

TRUE TO THE ESSENCE OF CHANEL, it all began with Coco. In the 1960s, a small independent atelier named Lemarié created a fabric camellia for Gabrielle Chanel. Since then, Lemarié’s artisans have been handcrafting the maison’s iconic 16-petal blooms to this very day.

Today, creative director Karl Lagerfeld continues to work with these small specialised ateliers that are skilled in all manner of metiers d’art. They are considered an extension of the main Chanel ready-to-wear and haute couture ateliers; the ultimate collaborators magnifying the standard of craftsmanship in every creation. Many of these metiers d’art ateliers have worked with Coco herself, including shoemaker Massaro who is behind the iconic two-tone beige and black shoes since 1957.

However, traditional craftsmanship has struggled to bloom in today’s industrialised climate of globalised production. To ensure the survival of such artisans, Chanel has also made it its goal to financially invest in the small independent ateliers that it works with. Since 1985, and later under its subsidiary Paraffection (established in 1997), Chanel has been acquiring a treasure trove of metiers d’art ateliers, each known to be the leading workshop in their field.

MEET THE FAMILY

To date, Chanel has procured a portfolio of 22 ateliers, which are divided into two categories. There are currently 10 Paraffection metiers d’art workshops: embroidery ateliers Lesage and Montex, tweed atelier Act 3, plumasserie and floral artisan Lemarié, pleating atelier Lognon, sewing workshop Paloma, glove maker Causse, boot maker Massaro, hat maker and milliner Maison Michel and goldsmith Goossens.