The Story of Chanel's Metiers d'Art in Salzburg

Salzburg. Palace Schloss Leopoldskron. Is staged the Mètiers d'Art Chanel.

In rococo castle of the 18th century, known for romantic views of the lake and for appearing in the film with Julie Andrews Sound of Music, Karl Lagerfel pays tribute to the craftsmanship of the laboratories that collaborate with the fashion house.

Every year since 2002, the French fashion house celebrates the dozens of companies that contribute to the unique and special every single creation. Grouped in a company called Paraffection, these artisans are an elite of factories, shoemakers, embroiderers, makers of feathers and hats, jewelers. Names like Goossens, Massaro, Maison Michel, Barrie, Desrues are real artists. 

"Theirs is a way to work crafted in the best sense of the term, because what is there handicraft art. The art of doing things well. An art applied. And it's really wonderful. I believe that  the picture of this collection is reflected in the sophistication that you have to look closely, almost touching, to understand how it is done and to really appreciate the beauty of this work, "says Karl Lagerfeld.

Mètiers d'Art is a tribute to their work, but it is also much more. It's  a real collection, a line of pret a porter, detached from any calendar fashion shows, now must-see event.

Started eleven years ago with a show in the historic halls of the apartment Chanel's Rue Cambon, with time has become a revisiting of the city, in some way linked to the history of the house, through the codes Chanel.

Tokyo, New York, Monaco, Mumbai, Moscow, Edinburgh, Dallas become set fairytale mirror that returns an image of luxury and dream.

This year Lagerfeld tells Austria.

In 20 days of hectic work the designers transformed the spaces of Palazzo Schloss Leopoldskron in a film set and opulent, full of rich buffet, golden chandeliers and antiques.

In this space relive the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Visconti, Heidi, the refinement of Millicent Rogers and Austria of Mademoiselle Coco, her holidays with Baron Hubert von Pantz, during one of which, inspired by the uniform of a liftboy, it is said that he invented his famous jacket.

In the 87 looks that parade on the catwalk, there is also the whole obsession with Kaiser Karl to Elizabeth of Austria, Sissi made famous by Romy Schneider, celebrated by the short film  Reincarnation with Cara Delevingne, Pharrell Williams.

The collection is a sophisticated and ironic reinterpretation of fashion Tyrolean. It's a triumph of tweed, pheasant colored feather, butterflies embroidered by Lesage, floral motifs, loden, frogs, lace, silk dresses, pearls, brooches forms of pretzel, socks, embroidered edelweiss, complete hunting .

Opens the show a Lara Stone in a black suit with chains and medals jingling, continue, in contemporary reinterpretation of the Central European tradition, Jamie Bochert, elegant in a black evening dress with a cape, Lindsey Wixson fairy in blue chiffon and the inevitable Dear Delevingne with a white dress with flounces.

"I like the spirit," says the German designer "I do not want to do anything folklore. This is more of a fantasy. It has to be modern, it must be right for today, the proportions, everything."

Mètiers d'Art is not just a collection. It's a story of vision of a world, a vivid and luxurious fairytale turned into reality by the craftsmanship of artisans from the unique talent.