COLLABORATIONS

The mannequins of Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto

100+ mannequins. 60 new looks

We partnered with The Palais Galliera, the City of Paris Fashion Museum, and V&A for the Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto exhibition, London.

The exhibition brings together garments spanning more than a century of design evolution.

SOME DESIGNERS RESPOND TO THEIR TIME. OTHERS RESHAPE IT.

At a time when excessive decoration dominated Western women’s fashion, Gabrielle Chanel did something different.

She introduced minimalism, precision, and control.

Nothing excessive. Nothing accidental. The strength lies in restraint: knowing exactly when to simplify, and when to hold a line.

The exhibition tells this story.

For us, the collaboration felt instinctive.

OVER 100 HANS BOODT MANNEQUINS HELPED TELL THIS STORY

Clean silhouettes. Controlled presence. Neutral yet precise forms that allow the garments to lead the narrative.

Early work introduces a new language of movement, where garments follow the body instead of shaping it. What begins as a subtle shift evolves into a consistent design philosophy, one that quietly challenged long-standing conventions.

As the narrative develops, the codes associated with Chanel take form. Not as fixed signatures, but as elements in constant refinement. Proportions become sharper, lines more resolved, and materials gain a distinct presence. Each decision feels deliberate, building towards a clarity that defines the work without overstating it.

Based upon the Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto exhibition organised by the Palais Galliera, Fashion Museum of the City of Paris, the exhibition is re-imagined by the V&A, with over 100 new objects including 60 new looks. It features rarely seen pieces from the V&A’s collection, alongside looks from Palais Galliera and the Patrimoine de CHANEL, the heritage collections of the fashion House in Paris. Highlights include one of the earliest surviving Chanel garments from 1916; original costumes designed by Chanel for the Ballets Russes production of Le Train Bleu in 1924; outfits created for Hollywood stars Lauren Bacall and Marlene Dietrich; an early example of Chanel’s ground-breaking evening trousers and ensembles from Chanel’s final collection of 1971.’

Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
16 September 2023 – 25 February 2024

[Unfortunately sold out before opening]