Fashionable ladies of the lake

Challenges ahead

As for Bruno Pavlovsky, president of Chanel Fashion and president of Chanel SAS, the brand not only chooses Hangzhou, but chooses China.

The last major show in China dates back to 2009 with Karl Lagerfeld, Pavlovsky says, adding that they had planned something special for China before COVID-19.

“We want to find a specific way to come back, a way different from what we have done before, opening boutiques,” says Pavlovsky who has visited the city four times since the first time the brand opened a boutique in Hangzhou in 2009.

“Hangzhou is a city mixing tradition and modernity with Alibaba and Tmall here. Combined with the local traditions of silk and lacquer, it’s a place where craftsmanship meets storytelling.”

The preservation of these age-old techniques, handed down through generations, contrasts with the seamless experience one encounters during meetings at the hotel, much like in any other Western city, he adds.

He says the collection inspired by Hangzhou would be a shining collection for everywhere, every customer, and bring a part of China to the rest of the world.

As for who are the Chinese clients, Pavlovsky describes “entrepreneurs, not housewives”, who spend money in boutiques, wear designed and well-crafted dress, like models, making choices for themselves.