Oriole Cullen on curating the V&A's sell-out new Chanel exhibition

Walpole: When did you start work on 'Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto'?

Oriole Cullen: The exhibition originated at the Palais Galliera in Paris in 2021 and subsequently travelled to Melbourne, Australia and Tokyo, Japan. We began working on the V&A version of the show towards the end of 2021. 

'Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto' is the latest in a series of incredible fashion-centric exhibitions you have curated. When you were asked to curate the UK’s first exhibition dedicated to the couturière’s work, where did you begin?

The show at the Palais Galliera was a wonderful jumping off point, but we have reimagined it for the V&A. Our research started by uncovering little known objects and designs by Gabrielle Chanel in collections across the world. We also went back to archival documents and records in order to validate aspects of her life and career and decided which stories we wanted to draw out. We incorporated 170 new objects including 100 new looks on mannequins, some of which have never been on public museum display before.

We also wished to include stories which are relevant to V&A audiences so the V&A’s version explores in detail Gabrielle Chanel’s connections to Britain, such as her partnerships with British textile manufacturers in the 1930s with the establishment of her business, British Chanel Ltd. To illustrate these connections we included objects such as a swatch book of Chanel-designed fabrics produced by the UK firm Ferguson Bros Ltd and a 1932 film of British debutants modelling a special collection designed by Gabrielle Chanel using British textiles.

The exhibition also spotlights Chanel’s designs for stage and screen. In a section dedicated to these garments we are delighted to display two costumes designed by Gabrielle Chanel for the Ballet Russes production Le Train Bleu in 1924, which are in the V&A’s permanent collection.

We have expanded the space spotlighting Chanel’s cocktail suits of the 1950s and 60s and the incredible metallic and Lurex textiles she used to adapt her signature style to a chic evening setting. 

The exhibition design has been created for the V&A by Storey Studio, drawing on the spaces and places that Chanel frequented at different times, for instance, her villa on the French Riviera, La Pausa; her personal apartment; and her couture salon at 31 rue Cambon. In the section exploring the 'Invisible Accessory of Chanel', perfume and beauty, we evoke the faceted glass form of the Chanel No.5 bottle. To accompany the journey through the exhibition, we worked with sound designers Coda to Coda to create a soundtrack for each space that further immerses the visitor into the world of Chanel.

What was the most surprising thing you discovered about Coco Chanel during the ideation and curation process?

Gabrielle Chanel’s designs are known for their monochrome palette. As our research developed we were struck by her exceptional eye for colour and for pattern. Within the exhibition we decided to draw out this story throughout the various periods of Chanel’s career incorporating garments that showcase this particular factor. From printed garments of the 1920s, to a range of colourful eveningwear in the 1930s and the incredible colours of her experimental tweed suits in the 1960s.

Were there any pieces on display that were particularly challenging to source?

The main and inevitable challenge when sourcing pieces came particularly when exploring the early period. Early examples of designs by Chanel are incredibly rare and delicate, and very few examples exist. So we’re very excited to have on display one of the earliest surviving pieces – a silk jersey tunic dating from 1916. We also include other early pieces from the 1920s which have never been displayed before.

What do you think makes Coco Chanel’s work so timeless?

Gabrielle Chanel designed first and foremost for herself. She was designing for her active life, for the life of a modern woman. Her designs centre around comfort, ease and wearability, and her success lay in her ability to create effortlessly elegant clothes that did not compromise on the wearer’s movement or comfort.

Whilst the garments themselves might look strikingly simple and understated on the figure, the detail is crucial. Each aspect was carefully thought out, every pattern piece perfected in order to deliver on both style and wearability, and cultivate that sense of relaxed elegance that defines Chanel’s style.

Why does this designer’s work speak to you?

Chanel pushed against the accepted boundaries of haute couture, particularly in her use of textiles which is so integral to her design approach: her use of jersey in a time when it was a humble fabric associated with menswear; her transformation of tweed from a hard wearing outdoor fabric to a colourful, soft, pliable material; her use of cottons and her light touch with tulle, lace and chiffon in her eveningwear. 

Are there any other luxury goods that you’d love to work on a curation of – and what would that look like?

With the Chanel exhibition and previous exhibitions we have staged we have been lucky to work with some interesting jewellery collections connected with fashion. We are very fortunate to have a wonderful jewellery section within the V&A, so we have expert colleagues to consult in that area.

In the past decade, exhibitions of work by fashion designers both contemporary and historic, have become increasingly popular at cultural institutions in the UK. Why do you think that is?

For a long time, fashion history was overlooked and viewed as ephemeral and insignificant, but in recent decades its impact has been recognised in many areas from academia to the business world. This has resulted in a positive response from many institutions which are now open to an exciting array of shows and exhibitions. It is also an area that is accessible and inclusive, so it is popular with a wide range of audiences. It is wonderful to see the number of really impressive fashion exhibitions in London at the moment.

'Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto' runs until Sunday 25th February 2024 at V&A South Kensington, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL. vam.ac.uk

Lead image credit: © Jamie Stoker