From then until now,
knitwear has accented every collection—
CHANEL.

Métiers d’art 2021/22
is unveiled and the dialogue continues—
a sensual conversation between
skin and silk.

A history, stitched into the stars.

From the men’s button-up knit cardigans
Coco borrowed from Boy,
to the punk spirit of Virginie’s
open-weave knits and graphic appliqué.

A tribute
to the virtuoso hands of fashion
and the virtuoso at the heart of it all.

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A chance to gaze back,
to preserve a rich history.
A chance, also, to gaze ahead,
to inspire a new handicraft. 

MÉTIERS D’ART

Those chunky honeycomb knits,
woven in wool
with trims ribbed
and a constellation in the construction.

Double C motifs
that dance across the décolletage,
as multicoloured holographics
dust the sleeves
—like snow falling
amidst silver tinsel
spun from stars.

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Knitted jersey as a starting point.
Savoire-faire—
the chance to free women’s bodies from strict corsetry.
A commitment to fashion as movement.

Oh, Coco!

Her rich history, woven into wool,
cashmere,
jersey,
or silk.

Where traditional artisanship
meets modern technique.

An expression of freedom,
fluidity, softness, breathability.
Carried forth by the new guard
—Virginie Viard

She who imagines knitwear as a sensual talisman,
cocooning and opulent
or light and diaphanous.

A conduit for feminine allure
and a building block for effortless layering.
A second-skin.

…………………………………

Dancers’ fluid movements
come to mind
and that 1924 production
by the Ballets Russes.
Le Train Bleu.

Coco’s hand knitted costumes—
an athletic expression,
set to the backdrop of
Picasso’s curtain.

Their volume shifts and suspends,
envelops and invites movement—
like a quiet dance across the cosmos.



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