On Tuesday night, Chanel took over Quyuan Fenghe, a lakeside park located at the northeastern point of Hangzhou’s West Lake, to present its 2025 Métiers d’Art collection. A 20-minute boat ride to the show venue was mandatory for all attendees, letting them fully immerse themselves in the serene waterside backdrop. The location of the Unesco world heritage site draws parallels between the maison’s illustrious Métiers d’Art and the Chinese city’s silk traditions and artistic heritage.
Celebrities from China and around the world — including Chanel’s long-standing muse Tilda Swinton, Chinese brand ambassadors Zhou Xun and Xin Zhilei, Taiwanese actor Zhang Junning, Hong Kong music artist William Chan and Japanese actor Sakura Ando — sat front row alongside Chanel CEO Leena Nair and president of fashion Bruno Pavlovsky.
At the brand’s Hong Kong cruise show last month, Pavlovsky teased: “We did not invent anything for Hangzhou. Everything was there.” Indeed, Gabrielle Chanel may not have set foot in China during her lifetime, but the city of Hangzhou remains significant to the house’s legacy nonetheless. The late designer’s residence at 31 Rue Cambon houses eight folding Chinese coromandel screens, the biggest of which contains an intricate painting of West Lake.
To amplify the relationship between Chanel and Hangzhou, the brand enlisted acclaimed filmmaker Wim Wenders to create a short film featuring Swinton alongside regional ambassadors Xin Zhilei and Leah Dou. Swinton, in her role as protagonist, is captivated by a coromandel screen in the Parisian apartment — and its beautiful portrayal of West Lake. She then travels to Hangzhou to fully immerse herself in its splendour, exploring its tea gardens, oriental architecture and renowned waterways.
In its 2025 Métiers d’Art collection, Chanel has intricately blended the oriental elements of Hangzhou with French savoir-faire. In the opening look modelled by Liu Wen, a floral pattern embroidered along the collar of a black, wide-shouldered coat appeared to pay homage to Chanel’s collection of ebony lacquer screens. The oversized coat in another look featured flowers and birds typical of traditional Chinese ink paintings, complemented by buttons and a satin lining crafted by Paloma, an artisan of Le 19M — the Parisian workshop that’s home to Chanel’s Métiers d’Art — as revealed by the brand a day after the show.
Hangzhou has a rich history of craftsmanship, renowned for its silk techniques, only adding to the city’s draw, otherwise led by the balancing of savoir-faire with innovation. The city also boasts significant consumption power and a high-spending consumer circle, which Chanel greatly needs given the rocky macroeconomic climate.
“Chanel’s client relationship management has been exceptional over the past few years,” says Lena Yang, a Yiwu-based Chanel VIC (very important customer) who attended both the show and pre-show dinner at West Lake’s Four Seasons Hotel. Yang shares that her sales associates invited her to the collection reveal. “I believe my yearly expenditure at Chanel ranks within the top 20 in the eastern Zhejiang province — hence the invitation.” Yang declined to disclose the specific figure.
Zhejiang, home to Hangzhou, stands as one of the most economically advanced provinces in China, consistently ranking fourth in total GDP for 30 consecutive years. In 2023, Hangzhou’s GDP hit RMB 2 trillion ($275 billion), positioning it as the eighth city in China to join the ‘two trillion club’, alongside Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Suzhou and Chengdu. In 2023, Hangzhou’s economic size was comparable to that of the Czech Republic and Finland in USD, based on average exchange rates at the time, surpassing Portugal and New Zealand.
Zhejiang’s appeal is heightened by its collection of vibrant municipal cities, including Ningbo, Wenzhou, Taizhou and Huzhou. In addition to their collective affluence and robust industrial foundations, Hangzhou in particular serves as a central hub for the region’s consumers, encompassing all facets from luxury spending to art and culture.
Yang outlines today’s typical Chanel VIC: a wealthy, second-generation individual from a prosperous family, whose parents amassed their fortune during China’s significant economic 20-year growth period. Yang’s family is involved in international trade, while her friendship circle participates in a range of businesses, including property, textile production and financial investment.
“I always travel to Hangzhou when I need to purchase luxury goods, particularly Chanel, since there is only one boutique in Zhejiang,” says Yang. Chanel’s limited retail presence in Zhejiang may soon be changing. Reports suggest that several luxury shopping malls, including Hang Lung Plaza, K11 and Kerry Project, are set to open in Hangzhou over the next couple of years. When speaking in Hong Kong back in November, Pavlovsky did not dismiss the idea of establishing another boutique in the region. “What we love to do is to invest more,” he said.
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