The Making Of: Look 65 from Chanel Métiers d'art 2017/18 Paris-Hamburg

A dazzling highlight from the Chanel Métiers d’art 2017/18 Paris-Hamburg collection was Look 65, a stunning blouse in white silk satin worn with drop-front trousers in embroidered navy blue organza.

Courtesy of Chanel

“Without great ateliers, you cannot make a good collection,” says Karl Lagerfeld, who usually gives his first sketches to the ateliers about a month and half before the collection. “I love working with our ateliers, they all have their own speciality. Virginie Viard and I know exactly which will be the best to interpret each one of my sketches.

“There is always such creative dynamic between the Studio and the expertise of the Chanel and the Maisons d’art ateliers who work on my collections,” he continues. “Gradually as the silhouette evolves, the embroideries, the details and the finishes take on a new dimension.”

Firstly, at the Lesage ateliers, the organza of the trousers was meticulously enriched with intricate marine elements. These were made up of black lace, navy blue chenille, 3,000 bowl-shaped beads as well as 4,800 round beads in midnight blue and gold. Adorning the material with said elements required 415 hours of work at Maison Lesage. Incidentally, the very same ateliers also made the beautiful embroidery of the outfit’s wool cap.

Courtesy of Chanel

Once the embroidery was complete, the pieces were sent to the Chanel Ready-to-Wear ateliers. There, the seamstresses carefully assembled the trousers and then positioned the jewelled buttons made by the Maison Desrues.

Courtesy of Chanel

At The Westin Hotel in Hamburg, the outfit was accessorised with all the right finishing touches: a wool cap made by Maison Michel and embroidered by Maison Lesage, bracelets and cuffs by Maison Desrues, earrings, two brooches, and chic brogues in grosgrain by Massaro.