Chanel Fashion Exhibition Inaugurates the Recently Renovated Palais Galliera

“Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto” is on from Oct 1, 2020 - Mar 14, 2021

Two years ago the historic Musée Galliera started a reconstruction and has finally reopened! The museum, which was previously only able to mount exhibitions on the ground floor level, now has a newly renovated lower level named after Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel and is currently showcasing the work of this fashion icon with an exhibition curated by Miren Arzalluz, director of the Palais Galliera, and Véronique Belloir.

The lower level of the Palais Galliera and the Galeries Gabrielle Chanel

The “Galeries Gabrielle Chanel” feature not only the classic tweed suiting she became famous for but also the incredible architecture of this lower level. The floor of the galleries were dug down to accommodate modern necessities for exhibitions including climate control and electrical outlets for lighting. Improvements were also made to preserve the exquisite workmanship on the building which was originally designed to house the art collection of the Dutchess of Galliera in 1879. It became the only dedicated fashion museum in Paris in 1977. The collection was gathered from the Chanel archives, the museum’s collection and other museums around the world, and with 350 pieces it is a comprehensive view of her incredible influence on fashion since 1910.

Chanel Tweed suiting with its iconic braiding.

An haute couture gown beaded within an inch of its life.

The exhibition itself is an exploration of Gabriel Chanel’s legacy. Her fashion manifesto is expressed through the classic codes of the house like the iconic tweed suits, the first fragrance to bear the name of a designer (Chanel No. 5), 2.55 quilted bag with the chain strap, the pearls, the ubiquitous Little Black Dress, all amount to a way of living. It’s a lifestyle of elegance, refinement and an ease that was missing in womenswear previously.

As the Palais Galliera notes, “Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto, covers an area of nearly 1500 m2 – including the newly opened basement galleries. With more than 350 pieces from the Palais Galliera collections and Patrimoine de CHANEL, from international museums, including The Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the De Young Museum in San Francisco, the Museo de la Moda in Santiago de Chile, the MoMu in Antwerp..., as well as from private collections, this exhibition is an invitation to discover a universe and a style that are truly timeless.”.