PARIS — Chanel is bringing the 100th anniversary retrospective of embroiderer Lesage to Tokyo, as part of a broader program of free cultural events under the umbrella of its craftsmanship hub Le19M.
From Sept. 30 to Oct. 20, La Galerie du 19M will present exhibitions, talks and workshops designed to foster dialogue between the French fashion house’s specialty workshops and Japanese crafts.
“In the heart of Tokyo, visitors will be immersed in a bespoke creative dialogue, through which people of all ages will be able to explore the crafts, participate in workshops, and appreciate both the richness of our heritage and the modernity of contemporary interpretations,” Bruno Pavlovsky, president of fashion and president of Chanel SAS, said in a statement.
It will mark the first overseas showing of “Lesage: 100 years of Fashion and Decoration,” the retrospective first unveiled in Paris in September.
It features a selection of ornately embellished outfits from the likes of Chanel, Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent and Schiaparelli, alongside highlights from Lesage’s archive of 75,000 samples, which it bills as the world’s largest collection of fine embroidery.
A group show will feature artisanal creations curated by five personalities: director and writer Momoko Andô; Casa Brutus editor in chief Yoichi Nishio; Shinichiro Ogata, founder and creative director of multidisciplinary design studio Simplicity; curator Kayo Tokuda, and Aska Yamashita, artistic director of Chanel-owned embroiderer Montex.
Chanel’s Le19M cratsmanship hub in Paris.
Gael Turpo/Courtesy of Le19M
It marks Le19M’s second international exhibition following a residence in Dakar, Senegal, in 2023 to coincide with Chanel’s Métiers d’Art show. The brand also hosted a free art exhibition with Le19M in tandem with its cruise show in Marseille, France, last year.
The Tokyo exhibition, which is not tied to a fashion show, will unfold across the Mori Arts Center Gallery and Tokyo City View indoor observation deck on the 52nd floor of Mori Tower in the Roppongi Hills urban complex.
It will include an introduction to the know-how of Le19M, designed by ATTA — Atelier Tsuyoshi Tane Architects.
Inaugurated in 2021, Le19M’s building on the outskirts of Paris, designed by award-winning architect Rudy Ricciotti, houses 700 employees in a striking structure covered in a concrete shell evoking threads, in a nod to the French fashion house’s know-how.
The site is home to embroiderers Lesage and Montex; shoemaker Massaro; feather and flower expert Lemarié; milliner Maison Michel; pleater Lognon; grand flou atelier Paloma, and goldsmith Goossens, as well as the lingerie and swimwear brand Eres.
It also houses interiors specialists Lesage Intérieurs and Studio MTX.
Inside the Lemarié feather workshop.
Jonathan Llense/Courtesy of Le19M
