On Tuesday 6 February, Northampton High Textiles students travelled by train to the Victoria and Albert museum in South Kensington to visit the Gabrielle Chanel Manifesto exhibition. We felt very privileged to be able to secure tickets and take Year 10 and Year 12 students on this trip to gather research for their textiles projects.
We first visited the Gabrielle Chanel exhibition which displayed a historical timeline of dresses, jewellery and perfume designed by Gabrielle Chanel. The group particularly enjoyed the botanical jewellery section where it displayed costume jewellery inspired by nature, the timeline showing the origins of Chanel perfume, and the gallery displaying all the extravagant dress designs. The exhibition is a wonderful immersive experience, beautifully curated and a fascinating piece of fashion history.
“In a career spanning 60 years, Gabrielle Chanel made an indelible mark on fashion. She laid the template for what became the modern woman’s wardrobe through the 20th Century and beyond. Designing first and foremost with herself in mind, Chanel created clothes that reflect both her own self presentation as a smart businesswoman and the times in which she lived. Her consistent vision and her capacity to balance form, function and elegance is what has kept her work timeless and still relevant today.”
We went on to explore other areas of the museum such as the Japanese gallery, Jewellery gallery, paintings and drawings, which were all useful primary research for our personal projects. Students were inspired by the Japanese gallery in particular and took many photographs of Japanese prints, kimonos, the culture of Buddhism, and traditional tea drinking ceramics.
It was a valuable research trip that inspired all who attended.
