Marseille is a magnet for emerging artists. That’s one of the most heartwarming things I’ve learnt from my three-and-a-half day stay in the port city in Provence in southern France with Chanel, which decided to showcase its latest Cruise collection here on May 3.
The scenic, usually sun-soaked Marseille, which sits by the Mediterranean Sea, photographed by Jamie Hawksworth in conjunction with Chanel’s Cruise 2024/2025 show in the city.
In and about its graffiti-rife city centre are artist studios such as that of Sarah Espeute, who moved over from neighbouring Arles and set up her brand Oeuvres-Sensibles three years ago, specialising in quirkily embroidered up-cycled linen tableware. The self-taught art graduate, who also teaches local independent artists her needlework skills, was one of the fledgling creatives whom Chanel had arranged for those who had travelled into town for its show to visit as part of its efforts to celebrate Marseille’s vibrant arts scene.
The embroidery artist Sarah Espeute was of the many emerging creatives whom Chanel had arranged for those who had travelled into Marseille for its show to meet to help shine a spotlight on the city’s bustling arts and culture scene.
The cultural ties between the French luxury maison and the Phocaean City – Marseille’s nickname as it was founded by sailors from the ancient Greek city of Phocaea – date back to 1989 when it staged the inaugural exhibition – shot by then-creative director Karl Lagerfeld – at the Maison Mode Mediterranee. The institution had been established to support local fashion professionals and emerging designers as well as run the fashion museum housed in Chateau Borely, which conserves around 200 looks from Chanel in its archives. Till today, the brand remains a partner.
Continuing this exchange in conjunction with Chanel’s Cruise 2024/2025 show is La Galerie du 19M Marseille, an ephemeral gallery spotlighting Marseillais artists that runs at Fort Saint-Jean, a seaside monument that’s one of the sites of Mucem (short for Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations), till May 26. Organised by Le19M – the Paris-based hub started by Chanel to house all of its metiers d’Art and preserve their craft and know-how – the exhibition marks its second out-of-home programme (the first was in Dakar) and features works created in collaboration with its ateliers (among them, the jeweller Goossens and the embroidery workshops Lesage and Montex) as well as independently.
A room within L’Asie Fantasmee, the ongoing temporary exhibition at Chateau Borely in Marseille that echoes Gabrielle Chanel’s fascination with Asia.
The main idea here is two-prong: connect talents from lesser-known creative communities in the world with Le19M’s resources to expand their repertoire, and give them the visibility they deserve. After all, Chanel has long been a cultural custodian as much as it is a luxury powerhouse and Marseille is flushed with young artists. “It is very cheap and close to nature, which offers a lot of inspiration, but it’s also close to Paris,” explains a curator at La Galerie du 19M Marseille casually when I ask about the city’s appeal.
The works of emerging Marseillais artists – some of which created jointly with specialised ateliers owned by Chanel under its Le19M arm – are on exhibit at Fort Saint-Jean in Marseille till May 26 as part of the ephemeral La Galerie du 19M Marseille gallery: the raw fleece sculptures of Theophile Peris (left) and a hanging rug by Delphine Denereaz (right), who lives in the neighbouring commune of Villedieu, featuring hardware by the jewellery studio Goossens.
All of this sets the background to the Chanel Cruise 2024/2025 collection, which was presented on May 3 at Cite Radieuse (translation: radiant city), the seminal Le Corbusier housing development that would form the blueprint to the architect’s Unite d’habitation concept located in the eighth arrondissement of Marseille (watch the stunning show teaser – filmed in and in top of the UNESCO-protected building – here). Unexpectedly gloomy weather during showtime could not dampen the palpable joy and ease suffused throughout the 76-look line-up that’s a loving ode to Marseille’s brand of bohemia: a little bit gritty, playfully arty and undeniably gorgeous.
The venue of the Chanel Cruise 2024/2025 show: the Le Corbusier Brutalist masterpiece Cite Radieuse, located in the eighth arrondissement of Marseille.
The Brutalist architecture of the show venue with its modular design influenced form-fitting tailored skirt suits and dresses while its distinctive primary-coloured balconies and windows inspired lively, multi-coloured tweeds and embroidered pockets with a geometric motif. These without doubt make some of the more eclectic and editorial-worthy looks in the collection.
Taken by the city’s seaside locale and gusty climate, artistic director Virginie Viard has also whipped up tweed jackets with removable hoods that draw reference to those worn by divers; a delightful rainbow-hued illustrated motif of fishes that makes a splash on breezy cotton dresses and separates; and sleeveless wetsuits with a pretty twist (a super cute one in particular is adorned with her signature bow along its hooded neckline).
Playtime-appropriate tweed suits and separates featuring a geometric pattern inspired by the colours and modularity of the monumental Le Corbusier-designed show venue, Cite Radieuse.
For fans of sportswear, Viard’s introduced a refreshingly feminine spin on it this season: Think cosy oversized baseball jackets and clingy short dresses that reference sweatshirts or have been hand-knitted with sailing stripes. “I was inspired by the codes of lifestyle – of everyday life and by all the things that invite movement,” explains Viard in the show notes.
This same idea of freedom has been translated in the many monochromatic dresses: simple yet sumptuous thanks to bodice-fitted cuts, and the use of lightweight yet voluminous fabrics such as ivory ladder lace and broderie anglaise – a dreamy, summer-y affair that transitions easily from day to night. To complement them: cushy terry cloth platform flip flops, elegant leather ballerina flats inspired by diving shoes, and vacay-perfect handbags including the mini Chanel 22 in silver, a metal minaudiere in the form of the double “C”, and a small ’90s-inflected backpack guaranteed to become It.
Some of the hit bags from Chanel Cruise 2024/2025.
Overall, this is a Chanel Cruise collection that stands out for its down-to-earth ease and the beauty that comes with it – as with the French seaside city it was shown in. Says Viard: “Marseille is a city that puts me in touch with my emotions. I tried to capture its power of attraction, its breath of fresh air, and to convey the energy that reigns there.” We’re equally moved.
See all the looks from the Chanel Cruise 2024/2025 collection inspired by and presented in Marseille ahead.