Chanel has opened a new boutique at CityCenterDC, Washington, D.C. For the first time in Washington, the 8,000 square-feet destination will showcase the complete Chanel universe in a singular Chanel boutique, including Ready-to-Wear, handbags, shoes, and costume jewelry. The boutique will also house a selection of watches & fine jewelry, as well as fragrance & beauty.
The boutique was conceived by long-standing Chanel collaborator, New York-based architect Peter Marino. The single-story building and streamlined façade make a powerful modernist statement that masterfully reinterprets the codes of the house.
Graphic contrasts are pronounced throughout, beginning with a sleek glass and ceramic tiled pleated façade, that immediately captivates visitors and evokes a bold and inviting sense of luxury. Inside, the energized space is comprised of a series of rooms with a rich ambiance that draws on Mademoiselle Chanel’s legendary Paris apartment at 31 rue Cambon.
Designed with a luxurious residential feel, the Chanel palette of white, beige and black is enhanced by hand-applied finishes as well as a collection of contemporary art and antique furniture. Each work of art throughout the boutique was carefully chosen to reflect Mademoiselle Chanel’s legacy as a passionate patron of the arts and Peter Marino’s signature work for the House.
Upon entering the boutique, two airy rooms with beige stone floors are situated behind the vestibule, and showcase handbags and accessories, including the seasonal reinterpretations of the iconic 2.55 and 11.12 handbags. A journey through these spaces reveals two additional rooms, one dedicated to Fragrance & Beauty and eyewear, and a Watches & Fine Jewelry salon displaying a curated selection of Fine Jewelry from the Coco Crush, Camélia And Comète collections, alongside the newest interpretations of the iconic J12.
Guests will be drawn to explore two sumptuous Ready-to-Wear salons that will showcase the diverse range of Virginie Viard’s collections for the first time in Washington. Whitestone floors and polished black accents create a contrast against the ebonized wood used throughout the space. Custom upholsteries designed in France and the United States in vibrant tones of fuchsia, red, and blue are juxtaposed against the beige, gold, white, and black ceramic finishes in the Ready-to-Wear salons.
In the shoe salon, a Curtis Jeré gold mirror hangs above a custom-designed tweed sofa by Peter Marino in the shoe salon, creating a rich backdrop that highlights the latest shoe collections, including black leather high heel equestrian boots, gold sequined two-tone Mary Janes, and jewel-toned velvet ballet flats from the Métiers d’art collection.
Gabrielle Chanel’s longstanding admiration of the arts is evident throughout the boutique, which is accented with a selection of work selected by Peter Marino, including three hand-torn paper pieces by Fernando Daza, a series of four Coco Chanel prints by Louis Ellis, and two Black Belt by Peter Marino handblown glass vases.
The boutique will debut with the 2020/21 Métiers d’art collection designed by Artistic Director Virginie Viard. This collection, created each year to showcase the artistry and craftsmanship of the Métiers d’art houses. This season is inspired by the Château de Chenonceau, “Le Château des Dames”, and the legendary women who resided in the castle, including Catherine de’ Medici and Diane de Poitiers. The black and white checkered motif of the chateau floor appears on sequined mini-skirts, as well as a long skirt in a fringed geometric tweed patchwork that is worn with a black and white jacquard sweater. Tweed capes in warm hues recall the famous tapestries that line the walls of the castle. Floral motifs on knit sweaters and dresses and floral embroideries on the lapels of jackets are inspired by the castle’s renowned gardens. Textural and luxe accessories, such as a black velvet mini 2.55 handbag embroidered with pearls and strass, a checkerboard black and white lambskin 11.12, and a velvet and lambskin large shopper exquisitely complement the graphic design of the boutique.
