CHANEL Honours Dance in Spring-Summer 2024

Under Gabrielle Chanel’s vision, the humble button blossomed from a clothing fastener into a jewel, adding sparkle and interest to any garment. This year, CHANEL’s creative director Virginie Viard extends the imagery of the button into the realm of ballet, as fashion converges with music, theatre, and painting in a poetic composition.

“I often think about dance; it’s an important theme at CHANEL,” Viard says. “The House is close to its institutions, to its choreographers and dancers, and we create costumes for the ballet.”

The Spring-Summer 2024 CHANEL Haute Couture collection is an ode to the art of dance, unfolding like a delicate landscape. Sheer skirts, floor-sweeping dresses, jumpsuits, and capes are adorned with embroidery, bows, sequins, braids, and flowers. Masculine and feminine silhouettes celebrate the beauty and strength of the dancer’s body, with pieces worn over white ballet leotards and tights.

Marking a century since Gabrielle Chanel’s earliest ballet designs, the 2024 CHANEL haute couture collection is tinged with the Ballets Russes influence. Dominant aquarelle hues of pink and white speak to classical dance attire, while tulle down jackets and hoods bring a modern sensibility.

Adding a unique dimension to the collection is a set design created in collaboration with Kendrick Lamar, Dave Free, and Mike Carson, at Viard’s invitation.

The collection is also accompanied by The Button, a short film directed by Dave Free and scored by Kendrick Lamar. The film features Anna Mouglalis, Naomi Campbell, and Margaret Qualley in a captivating opening act.

“For me, dance evokes all these stories and emotions that are close to my heart,” Viard says.