This essential reference reveals the creative inspirations, concepts, and set décors of Chanel’s runway shows, which contribute to the legend of the House.

Through seven themes inspired by Gabrielle Chanel’s guiding principles, this book offers an original perspective on the history of fashion through the décors of Chanel fashion shows. Each unique, global event is bespoke, with a custom set and music designed to present the runway collection as a complete concept that makes a lasting impression. The designers—from Gabrielle Chanel to Karl Lagerfeld, Virginie Viard, and Matthieu Blazy—conceived each show with the same desire: to showcase each collection in the setting that best complements the fashion.

From Gabrielle Chanel’s intimate shows in the Haute Couture salons at Rue Cambon in Paris to today’s magnificent and larger-than-life décors, this book charts the evolution of scenography at Chanel. From the galaxy of planets imagined by Blazy for his début collection to Lagerfeld’s monumental, tailored jacket, space rocket, or Alpine ski resort in the nave of the Grand Palais, as well as the glamorous scenery of Cruise shows around the world, this comprehensive book recounts—in cinematic style—the boundless inventiveness that drives the House of Chanel. First-hand accounts from set designers, music composers, Chanel ambassadors, and many others punctuate the iconic images of the most significant creative moments in the fashion world.

About The Author

Tilda Swinton is an acclaimed Academy Award-winning actor. Émilie Hammen is an art historian and director of Paris’s fashion museum, the Palais Galliera. She teaches fashion theory and history as a junior professor at Université Panthéon Sorbonne. Sonia Rachline is a freelance journalist specialized in fashion; she collaborated with Vogue for more than thirty years and has authored many books.