Chanel's 20-Year Globe-Trotting Pre-Collection Shows
Chanel has staged pre-collection shows worldwide for two decades, starting with Karl Lagerfeld in the mid-2000s and continued by Virginie Viard and Matthieu Blazy. The shows blend fashion with local culture, history, and architecture. Key locations include New York (subway station), Dakar (first European/American show in sub-Saharan Africa), Hangzhou (West Lake), and Biarritz (Casino Municipal). The collections often reference Coco Chanel's life, art, and craftsmanship. Blazy's first pre-fall show in New York used a disused Bowery station to emphasize social hierarchy absence. Viard's Dakar show incorporated Senegalese and Congolese influences. The brand's mid-season shows highlight artisanal skills from its ateliers. The article compiles 20 years of these global presentations, from Seoul to Dubai, each with unique themes and locations.
Key facts
- Chanel's pre-collection shows began in the mid-2000s under Karl Lagerfeld.
- Virginie Viard presented the first European/American brand show in sub-Saharan Africa in Dakar, Senegal (2023).
- Matthieu Blazy's first pre-fall show was in a disused New York City subway station (2026).
- The shows have taken place in over 20 cities worldwide, including Shanghai, Venice, and Havana.
- Each show incorporates local cultural and architectural elements.
- The collections emphasize Chanel's craftsmanship and artisanal ateliers.
- Coco Chanel's historical connections often inspire themes.
- The article covers shows from 2007 to 2027.
Entities
Artists
- Coco Chanel
- Karl Lagerfeld
- Virginie Viard
- Matthieu Blazy
- Bruno Pavlovsky
- Sarah Mower
- Hamish Bowles
- Nicole Phelps
- Luke Leitch
- Tim Blanks
- Anders Christian Madsen
- Meenal Mistry
- Matthew Schneier
- Monica Kim
- Karim Sadli
- Mica Argañaraz
- Jean Cocteau
- Pablo Picasso
- Salvador Dalí
- Winston Churchill
- Diane de Poitiers
- Catherine de Medici
- Ettore Sottsass
- Zaha Hadid
- Le Corbusier
- Charlotte Perriand
- Rudy Ricciotti
- John Lennon
- Amy Winehouse
- Daphne Guinness
- Rita Hayworth
- Aly Khan
- Jeanne Moreau
- Anouk Aimée
- Monica Vitti
- Romy Schneider
- Luchino Visconti
- Pier Paolo Pasolini
- Che Guevara
- Mary Queen of Scots
- Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich
- Arthur 'Boy' Capel
- Duke of Westminster
- Empress Theodora
- Colette
- Diaghilev
- Brian Jones
- Jane Fonda
- Cindy Crawford
- Erin Wasson
- Azealia Banks
- M.I.A.
Institutions
- Chanel
- Vogue
- Neiman Marcus
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Grand Palais
- Le19M
- Lesage
- Montex
- Lemarié
- Lognon
- Goosens
- Maison Michel
- Massaro
- Herzog & de Meuron
- Elbephilharmonie
- Ritz Hotel Paris
- Casino Municipal Biarritz
- Paramount Studios
- Phillips de Pury
- Hotel Villa d'Este
- Hotel Monte-Carlo
- Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc
- Raleigh Hotel Miami
- Grand Central Terminal
- Cinecittà
- Dongdaemun Design Plaza
- Schloss Leopoldskron
- Linlithgow Palace
- Palace of Versailles
- Théâtre le Ranelagh
- La Cité Radieuse
- Carrières de Lumières
- Chenonceau
- Sénéquier
- Memphis Group
- Ballets Russes
Locations
- Paris
- France
- New York City
- New York
- United States
- Dakar
- Senegal
- Biarritz
- Los Angeles
- California
- Lake Como
- Italy
- Hangzhou
- China
- Marseille
- Manchester
- England
- United Kingdom
- Monte-Carlo
- Monaco
- Provence
- Les Baux
- Touraine
- Capri
- Hamburg
- Germany
- Athens
- Greece
- Cape Sounion
- Havana
- Cuba
- Rome
- Seoul
- South Korea
- Salzburg
- Austria
- Dubai
- United Arab Emirates
- Dallas
- Texas
- Singapore
- Edinburgh
- Scotland
- Versailles
- Antibes
- St. Tropez
- Shanghai
- Venice
- Miami
- Florida
- London
- Santa Monica
- Bowery station
- Grand Central Terminal
- Huangpu River
- West Lake
- Thomas Street
- Fair Park
- Lido
- South Beach
- Victoria
- Rue Cambon
- Casino Municipal
- Hotel Villa d'Este
- La Cité Radieuse
- Palais de Justice
- Hotel Monte-Carlo
- Le19M
- Carrières de Lumières
- Chenonceau
- Grand Palais
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Elbephilharmonie
- Ritz Hotel
- Cinecittà
- Dongdaemun Design Plaza
- Schloss Leopoldskron
- Linlithgow Palace
- Palace of Versailles
- Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc
- Sénéquier
- Théâtre le Ranelagh
- Raleigh Hotel
- Phillips de Pury
- Metrazur restaurant