La Galerie du 19M is a new atelier facility for Chanel that houses 12 of their maisons. It just opened up and we were very honored to be the 1st guest to ever visit this facility. Chanel had arranged for us to visit one of their premier artisans Goossens and to attend one of the public workshops in which they hold for VIC guest.
The public workshop area is very modern yet whimsical and is styled like Willy Wonkas chocolate factory to illustrate the light spirit if the brand while maintaining the rich heritage of Chanel and it's many subsidiaries.
Sidenote: Chanel had also arranged a behind the scenes tour of their high jewelry collection at the Vendôme the previous day but due to security I was not allowed to film nor photograph.
But anyways the Goossens tour is quite fascinating, demonstrating the artistry of handcrafted workmanship and the painstaking efforts to not only maintain the current state of the art but to also nurture the next generation of artisans that will hopefully carry on and honor the traditions well into the future while expanding and evolving the brand(s) in a tasteful manner.
Of course the entire team that hosted us was pinnacle of graciousness and we not only learned alot we were able to gather more appreciation for the care, passion, and attention to detail placed into every piece.
This is not a sweat shop but an inspirational cultivation ground for those whom enjoy working with their hands and are laser focused about putting their pride into their workmanship.
My wife and I would like to express a hearfelt thanks to Rabya, Brenda, Chanel and the Chanel team in Honolulu that made this entire trip to Paris Fashion Week so warm, inviting and memorable. read more