Chanel steps up initiatives in Marseille for its cruise fashion show

Chanel‘s programme of festivities in Marseille is taking shape. After announcing at the start of the year that its Cruise 2024/25 fashion show would be held in Marseille on May 2, the Parisian fashion house recently revealed the venue it has chosen for the event. The Cité radieuse’ iconic roof terrace, the famous emblem of modern architecture, built by Le Corbusier between 1948 and 1952. The label is also planning a series of other artistic and creative initiatives.

From May 3 to 26, Chanel will be taking over Fort Saint-Jean, one of the Mucem sites at the entrance to the Old Port. Chanel will be setting up shop in the heart of the city, with its 19M gallery, a cultural space linked to its structure and bringing together all its art professions. Access will be free of charge. On its website, the label explains that it has “chosen to highlight the synergies between fashion and interior design expertise and the cultural ecosystem of the city of Marseille.”

The event aims to be “a space for dialogue and expression between the crafts and the artistic scene in the city of Marseille.” The programme includes a group exhibition, participatory workshops focusing on embroidery, and round-table discussions. “It will feature artists, craftspeople, designers, associations and creative spaces from Marseille and key destinations in the history of 19M.”

This is the second time that Chanel has taken the 19M outside the walls of its Paris-Aubervilliers site. A similar project was organised in Dakar from January to March 2023 for its 2022/23 métiers d’arts fashion show. On its Paris site, the 19M is home to twelve houses and their teams, representing nearly 700 craftsmen and experts, as well as the Galerie du 19M, “a place of practice and exchange designed to welcome all audiences, for exhibitions, conferences and workshops.”