Culture Chanel Exhibit

           Somewhat on accident, a group of study abroad students and I wandered upon the Culture Chanel exhibit at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza today! What a stroke of good luck! My Global Fashion Marketing teacher had actually even recommended the fashion students go to this exhibit if they got the chance, since it chronicles the work of Danielle Chanel. The exhibit included many pieces from the House of Chanel on loan to the museum that showcased Chanel’s designs as well as her inspiration and sketches. There was also a room where they screened Chanel commercials for Chanel perfume as old as the 1970’s and as new as 2014. As a fashion major, it was so horridly interesting! 

            The part I found most interesting about the exhibit was the fashion sketches. The art side of design has always been more interesting to me than the actual construction of garments.  It was fascinating to see pages from sketchbooks that included sketches of the outfits as well as ideas for fabric patterns, and then see the clothing in which they were actually executed. The outfit sketches actually really surprised me! They were very rough and not very detailed. They almost seemed amateur. However, I guess they got the general idea across enough to create a garment from.

            The commercials were very interesting to watch as well. Advertising a high-fashion brand is almost always more about advertising the “ideal” you want to create than actually showcasing the specific products you’re selling. For example, many advertisements will only include one or two articles of clothing, but the setting and feel of the ad will convey the type of woman you will supposedly become by wearing the clothing/accessories: beautiful, edgy, etc. Chanel’s commercials all told a story. They almost all followed the same pattern. It started with a clip of a girl putting on Chanel perfume. The perfume was in the frame for maybe 5 seconds. Then it completely moved on from the perfume to a story about a girl catching the attention of at least one attractive man. The perfume got very little screen time, but the commercials were very successful and convincing. It was fascinating.

            Overall, the exhibit was a great experience! I loved learning that Gabrielle Chanel lived a largely nomadic life, which influenced her designs and kept them fresh. This was very encouraging, since I’m studying abroad with the same hope: to broaden my design influences and understand the global market in a more intimate way. Hopefully I can apply this trip to Korea, as well as my visit to the Culture Chanel, in a practical way in my designs.