V&A to showcase first UK exhibition dedicated Fashion Designer Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel

The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) is set to host a landmark exhibition this September 2023, showcasing the pioneering work of fashion designer Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel.

Image: Dorothy + Little Bara priest, Paris (Vogue) © 1960 William Klein

The V&A will be hosting the first-ever exhibition dedicated to the life and works of French couturière Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel. The exhibition will feature over 200 looks, along with accessories, perfumes, and jewelry that chart the evolution of Chanel's iconic design style and the establishment of the House of CHANEL from 1910 to 1971. The exhibition will explore Chanel's innovative approach to fashion design, which paved the way for a new elegance and continues to influence the way women dress today.

Marilyn Monroe applying Chanel N°5, photograph by Ed Feingersh, 1955, New York. © Ed FeingershMichael Ochs ArchivesGetty Images.

The exhibition will be based on the Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto exhibition organised by the Palais Galliera, Fashion Museum of the City of Paris, and re-imagined by the V&A. It will feature some 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. Visitors can expect to see some highlights, including 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.

Chanel designed first and foremost for herself, creating clothes that fit an independent and active lifestyle, anticipating the needs and wants of the modern woman. The exhibition will be divided into ten themed sections, exploring Chanel's innovative approach to fabric, silhouette, and construction, and examining how she drafted a new framework for fashion in the twentieth century. It will showcase a stunning array of some of Chanel’s most notable designs from her sixty years in fashion, analysing her professional career, the emergence and the development of her style, and her contribution to the history of fashion.

Image: Lithograph of CHANEL No.5 fragrance by Sem (Georges Gouarsat, dit) (1863-1934), published in The New York Times, 16 December 1924 © Paris Musées, Musée Carnavalet, Histoire de Paris

Finally, the exhibition will also highlight Chanel’s British inspirations, such as her adoption of tweed, partnerships with British textile firms, and the textile factory in Huddersfield. This exhibition promises to be a must-visit for fashion enthusiasts and history buffs alike, offering a unique and comprehensive insight into one of the most influential fashion designers of the twentieth century.

Date: 16 September 2023 – 25 February 2024. Location: V&A South Kensington. Cromwell Road, London, SW7 2RL. Price: Tickets available in June 2023. Click here for more.