I couldn’t think of a better article to start 2019 with on WestmountFashionista than one dedicated to the CHANEL Métiers d’art 2018/19 Paris – New York collection accessories. Inspired by the ancient Egyptian civilization and the grit and glamour of New York City, this most recent sartorial tour de force from Karl Lagerfeld is nothing less than spectacularly opulent. While the lines of the pieces are clean, sleek, and almost linear, the detailing on them and the accessories that make up the collection are downright sumptuous. Rich beading and embroidery abound alongside braiding, pleating, and draping that has been elevated to an art form.
I’ll let these photos mostly speak for themselves, but a quick note on the incredible accessories of the CHANEL Métiers d’art 2018/19 Paris – New York collection. They are imbued with the heritage and history of the House – a mixture of the classic and the contemporary. The scarab beetle, a symbol of ancient Egypt that represents the cyclic nature of the sun and the weaving together of the past, present, and the future is featured significantly throughout the collection and worked into many of the accessories.
Jewellery is lavish and binds together styles from antiquity along with the Art Deco movement. Gold dominates with net camellias and cuff bracelets worn along with twisted leather bangles, and striking necklaces of hammered medallions. Hats, done by the Maison Michel, continue the gold theme and are a sort of ultra-modern boater that features a folded back brim in cracked leather.
As for the bags of the CHANEL Métiers d’art 2018/19 Paris – New York collection, they are both fantastical and utterly elegant – a combination that has become a hallmark of Lagerfeld’s Métiers d’art collections. There are graphic minaudieres and mini pyramid clutches, as well as scarab-inspired clutch that I would hazard to say is one of the true stars of a stunning collection. As for the classic 2.55 and 11.12, the are graffitied with camellias and double C’s, and adorned with gold and sequins respectively. Contemporary styles like The Boy and The Gabrielle bag are beautifully interpreted for the collection, as well as an incredible waist bag that is directly out of the cannon of Lagerfeld’s maximalisim work of the 1990s.
And finally, the shoes! (Because how could I forget to mention these incredible pieces?) Done by the House of Massaro, an atelier that CHANEL has partnered with for decades, there are striking boots of gold with heels adorned with enamel and cabochons, with some pairs even featuring gold and neon pink graffiti.
{CHANEL Métiers d’art 2018/19 Paris – New York collection Runway Report}
Photos: CHANEL
