Lighting design practice Studio ZNA has designed a spectacular scheme for ‘Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto’ at the V&A in South Kensington, London. The show, which runs until 10 March 2024, is the first ever UK exhibition dedicated to the work of French couturière, Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel, and charts the establishment of the House of CHANEL and the evolution of Chanel’s iconic design style, which continues to influence the way women dress today. The lighting design scheme was created in close collaboration with the project’s exhibition designers, Storey Studio. Other creative partners on the team included graphic designers The Bon Ton, sound designers Coda to Coda and AV consultants Luke Halls Studio.
‘Fashion Manifesto’ features more than 200 looks by the French couturière - marking the first time they have all been displayed together – alongside jewellery, accessories, cosmetics and fragrance. The installation also features rarely-seen pieces from the V&A's own collection - alongside the archive pieces from Chanel's heritage collections – including clothing worn by Hollywood stars Lauren Bacall and Marlene Dietrich.
Spatially, the exhibition has been split into ten themed sections, which explore Chanel's innovative approach to fabric, silhouette and construction. There are plenty of well-known pieces on display, from the famous little black dress (LBD), the 2.55 handbag and the much-loved tweed suit, to two-tone slingback heels and Chanel's iconic debut perfume, N°5.
Exhibition designers Storey Studio looked to create a feeling of purity in line and proportion, along with a sense of timeless elegance, in their design approach. Chanel’s love of both opulence and restraint are embodied in a refined tonal palette throughout of beige, gold, white and black, with luxurious shifts in surface texture speaking to her innovations in materiality; from the sheen of black lacquer to softness of beige canvas.
Inspired by Storey Studio’s approach, Studio ZNA proposed visitors should experience the objects under subtly shifting lighting qualities, moving through the sections from morning, noon, afternoon and dusk to night-time, in exterior and interior, rural and urban contexts. This treatment was at times abstracted - in the entrance sequences, for example, with fresh crisp morning light, or in The Perfume Room at the end, where Studio ZNA created the effect of beams of light passing through a gold liquid perfume bottle.
