At the launch party for the Chanel installation at Dover Street Market
last night, one thing was made very clear: Karl is watching you. The
nigh-on immortal grandfather of style glared at visitors from every
nook and cranny of the bustling complex, which was filled with
cardboard cutout reproductions of Lagerfeld's uncompromising black and
white silhouette. Unsurprisingly the interlocking Cs were also
everywhere, from the clothes on display to the hundreds of customized
Chanel coathangers (in which a gold logo replaced the traditional
hook) that adorned the windows and bar furniture. Guests (most of
which also bore the golden mark) excitedly perused the impressive
displays as Henry Holland DJed on the ground floor whilst throughout
the building luminaries from the industry socialised and sipped on
cocktails and champagne.

The installation itself is an exciting one - though Chanel's super
luxurious wool jackets undeniably seem somewhat stately and
traditional in comparison with DSM's regular, more experimental stock,
the juxtaposition of the two ultimately serves to highlight just how
edgy and alive the Parisian label still is after almost one hundred
years of existence. The zipper details on jackets and skirts, in the
context of DSM's ground floor display rail (which is printed to
resemble quilted leather) don't seem a million miles from something
Junya Watanabe might do, whilst the display mannequins, dripping as
much with safety pins as with jewels, have a serious rock and roll
edge that speaks loudly from the crammed front window.

The sheer decadence of some simply amazing one-off jewellery pieces -
such as an armour-like golden metallic lace glove - is also
mind-blowing, and these are accompanied by a range of accessories and
jewellery seemingly designed specifically for the London event.

Ultimately, whether you can afford to buy anything or not (for the
record, you can't) the store is worth a visit for the spectacle in
itself. It is rare to encounter these beautiful luxury items in a such
an accessible context, and one that showcases the clothes with such a
sense of fun. The Dover Street Market installation shows us that
Chanel is fully capable of leading a vibrant life outside its typical
Bond Street boutique setting.

Adam Welch

Written by:
Badam

Adam is a one-man industry awaiting investors. In the meantime he writes for London Kicks and Vogue.co.uk and lives on thin air and noodle packets.

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