The 15 best looks from Chanel Metier D’Art: Virginie Viard reimagines house codes for modern woman

Shown in a French chateau, there were 67 looks but no audience

A net skirt is teamed with a boxy jacket with the quilting seen on Chanel bags and accessories at the Chanel Metiers d’Art show. Courtesy Chanel

Part of the Chanel Metiers d’Art show that took place without an audience. Courtesy Chanel

An image by photographer Juergen Teller. Courtesy Chanel

The Metiers d’Art collection by Chanel used cable knit across sleeveless tank tops. Courtesy Chanel

Seeing Metiers d’Art through fresh eyes, photographer Juergen Teller created the images to capture the spirit of the collection. Courtesy Chanel

For the Metiers d’Art collection, satin became fluid eveningwear. Courtesy Chanel

A tweed jacket is rethought as a Bardot cut, teamed with velvet leggings. Courtesy Chanel

Mixing short skirts with leggings kept things fresh at the Chanel Metiers d’Art show. Courtesy Chanel

Diaphanous silk becomes a ruched slip dress for the Metiers d’Art collection. Courtesy Chanel

The famous tweed is updated with metallic sheen and satin leggings. Courtesy Chanel

Photographer Juergen Teller created the press kit. Courtesy Chanel

Three patterns clash at Chanel Metiers d’Art. Courtesy Chanel

A leather coat floats over a satin bodysuit at Chanel Metiers d’Art. Courtesy Chanel

A timeless tweed dress at the Metiers d’Art collection. Courtesy Chanel

Highlighting key looks from the Metiers d’Art collection, Juergen Teller created these images. Courtesy Chanel

Chanel revealed its Le Chateau des Dames 2020 / 2021 Metiers d'Art Collection as a full runway show on Thursday, December 3, at a chateau in France.

However, this was a show with a difference. Although there were 67 beautifully crafted looks on show, there was no audience to appreciate them.

For the event, Chanel decamped to the spectacular Chateau de Chenonceau, built spanning the River Cher in France, to showcase its latest collection. Models, make-up artists, hairstylists, dressers, lighting technicians, music specialists and a host of hands from the atelier were all on hand at the chateau. Naturally, creative director Virginie Viard was there as, too, was director of fashion Bruno Pavlovsky. The only thing missing was an audience to enjoy it all.

The brand has experimented with differing formats to deal with Covid-19 restrictions, from a digital-only Cruise collection and couture show, to a spring / summer 2021 collection shown to a small, select audience. With huge resources at its disposal, and a reputation for staging elaborate shows, clearly it has been decided that, with or without an audience, nothing beats the spectacle of a runway.

Putting on a show of the scale of Chanel is no small undertaking. Up to 300 people are required, from models to catering. Unable to add an audience to that not insignificant number, without risking the health of all, Chanel opted to run the show minus the audience.

Instead, it called on photographer Juergen Teller to create a press kit dispatched to clients, displaying a handful of the key looks. The collection itself showed a younger, more carefree side than the Chanel under Karl Lagerfeld, with satin leggings worn under almost every look, and catsuits under the others.

There was floral-printed denim cut into floor-length skirts, and the famous house tweed arrived as sassy box-cut jackets, front split skirts and fitted full-length dresses. Cable knitting appeared as sleeveless tank tops, worn with velvet trousers, and yet more velvet as luxurious bodysuits and ruched dresses.

A beautiful collection, filled with the drop waists and sleek silhouettes Chanel is so famous for, but here updated with Bardot cut jackets and metallic tweed dress coats.

Created by a designer who gathers momentum with every new collection, this was a stunning display of Chanel rethought for the modern woman. It's just a pity there was no audience on hand to relish it.