First UK exhibition on Coco Chanel to go on display at V&A

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The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) will showcase the work of French fashion designer Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel next year for the first time in the UK.

The new exhibition will chart the evolution of the iconic designer’s style and the establishment of the House of Chanel.

It will follow her life from the opening of her first millinery boutique in Paris in 1910 to the showing of her final collection in 1971.

The exhibition will run from 16 September 2023 to 25 February 2024.

Visitors to the museum during this period will be able to view more than 180 looks created by Chanel, alongside jewellery, accessories, cosmetics and perfumes.

The exhibition will feature eight themed sections that give viewers an exploration of Chanel’s innovative approach to fabric, silhouette and construction.

It will also examine how she drafted a new framework for fashion in the 20^th century.

Showcasing some of the most notable designs from her 60 years in fashion, the retrospective will analyse her professional career, the emergence and development of her style and her historical impact.

Chanel’s British inspirations will also be on display, including her adoption of tweed and other British-made textiles.

Based on the Gabrielle Chanel exhibit by the Palais Galliera in Paris, the show will also include rarely seen pieces from the V&A’s own collection.

It will also showcase looks from Palais Galliera and the Patrimoine de Chanel, the heritage collections of the fashion house in Paris.

Some key pieces that will be on display include outfits created for the late British model Anne Gunning and Hollywood stars Lauren Bacall and Marlene Dietrich.

Miren Arzalluz, director of the Palais Galliera, said that Chanel’s “fashion manifesto” was to invent a “new kind of elegance based on freedom of movement, a natural and casual pose, a subtle elegance that shuns all extravagances, a timeless style for a new kind of woman”.

“Her success was based not only on the functionality, comfort and chic elegance of her designs, but also on her ability to grasp and interpret the needs and desires of the women of her time,” she added.

“As one of the most successful fashion houses in existence, Chanel owes much to the templates first laid down by its founder Gabrielle Chanel, over a century ago,” Tristam Hunt, director of the V&A, said.

“We are delighted to be partnering with Chanel and the Palais Galliera on this exhibition, which provides us with the opportunity to explore the origins and elements of this enduring style and to display little-known historic Chanel garments from the V&A collection.”

Bruno Pavlovsky, president of Chanel’s Fashion and Chanel SAS, added: “Gabrielle Chanel boldly redefined the modern women’s wardrobe. We are honoured and delighted that the V&A, such a world leading museum and great institution, will stage the first UK retrospective of her work.

“By showcasing her contribution to the history of fashion as well as the incredible relevance and permanence of the Chanel style, this exhibition will highlight one of the greatest visionaries of our time.”