Welcome To The Magic Shop
Female Singapore|June 2022
Every December since 2002, Chanel has presented a Metiers d'Art collection. (Yes, this means that the latest - revealed six months ago - marks the 20th edition.) It's the annual showcase/bonanza/tribute to the all-important esoteric craft ateliers that orbit the French luxury maison (Karl Lagerfeld even used to refer to them as satellites). The 2021/2022 collection, which launches in boutiques towards the end of June, marks a new chapter: It's inspired by and was shown in the new Le19M hub that Chanel had purpose-built as a centralized home for 11 of its most crucial suppliers.
Gordon NG
Welcome To The Magic Shop

It's the first time that the brand has brought together the artisan workshops it owns - previously scattered across and around Paris in such a meaningful and permanent way. Located in the north-eastern Aubervilliers region of the French capital, Le19M was even designed to bring to mind woven textile by architect Rudy Ricciotti - with concrete threads girding its facade, creating a sophisticated exoskeleton that also offers protection from the sun. The 25,500 sq m state-of-the-art complex is now HQ to 600 workers from ateliers that contribute embroidery, plumasserie, pleating, textiles, hats, jewellery, and shoes - discrete components signature to the look and feel of Chanel.

Here, an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at three of Le19M's resident ateliers through the eyes of three male friends of the house: Pharrell Williams, Sebastien Tellier, and Abd Al Malik.

To commemorate the opening of Le 19M - Chanel's multidisciplinary complex in Paris that houses the specialized artisanal workshops it owns - last December, the brand invited its celebrity friends to visit seven of the metiers d'art on site. Pictured here: the musician/style icon Pharrell Williams exploring the workroom of the costume jeweller Goossens, which has been working with Chanel since the '50s after Coco Chanel commissioned its founder to create a piece for her.

This story is from the June 2022 edition of Female Singapore.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the June 2022 edition of Female Singapore.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM FEMALE SINGAPOREView All
What She Is Made For
Female Singapore

What She Is Made For

This Month, Singapore Fashion Model Chloe Lau Is Packing Her Bags For Europe, Where She Will Try To Expand Her Budding Career On The Runways And In Front Of The Cameras. If You Ask Us, Though, She Already Deserves A Cover Story, So Here's Her First.

time-read
3 mins  |
May 2023
FOREVER YOUNG
Female Singapore

FOREVER YOUNG

NATALIE PORTMAN HAS BEEN THE FACE OF MISS DIOR FOR 13 YEARS AND COUNTING AN UNUSUAL FEAT CONSIDERING THE INCREASINGLY BREAKNECK SPEED AT WHICH POP CULTURE MOVES, BUT MISS DIOR IS NOT YOUR AVERAGE FRAGRANCE.

time-read
3 mins  |
May 2023
THE ART OF HEALING
Female Singapore

THE ART OF HEALING

FRIDA KAHLO CAN BE SAID TO BE AS MUCH AN ICON IN THE REALM OF BEAUTY AS SHE IS IN THAT OF ART. OFFERING A LESSER-DISCUSSED PERSPECTIVE TO THE LATE MEXICAN PAINTER’S STORY IS LAID BARE: FRIDA’S INNER WORLD, AN EXHIBITION CURATED AND PRODUCED BY THE ARTSCIENCE MUSEUM THAT OPENS THIS MONTH AND WHICH HIGHLIGHTS HER MEDICAL HISTORY THAT FOR ALL ITS STRUGGLES BECAME ONE OF HER GREATEST SOURCES OF INSPIRATION. CRISTINA KAHLO ALCALA HER GREAT-NIECE WHO LOANED TO THIS FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND SHOWCASE IN SINGAPORE SOME OF ITS CLOSE TO 40 EXHIBITS, INCLUDING PHOTOGRAPHS, ARTWORKS, MEDICAL RECORDS AND PAGES FROM THE ARTIST’S DIARY SPEAKS WITH EMMA ASHLEE GOH ABOUT KAHLO’S INTERPRETATION OF BEAUTY THAT’S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH THOSE BROWS.

time-read
4 mins  |
May 2023
THE EYES HAVE IT
Female Singapore

THE EYES HAVE IT

This month, Chanel launches Ombre Essentielle, a collection spotlighting 14 single eyeshadows in rich yet wearable hues inspired by the maison's heritage.

time-read
5 mins  |
May 2023
DESTINY AWAITS
Female Singapore

DESTINY AWAITS

WITH ITS CLEAN AND MODERN CURVES, THE B.ZERO1 COLLECTION BY BVLGARI HAS LED TO COUNTLESS REINTERPRETATIONS. NOW, A NEW CULTURAL INITIATIVE BY THE ITALIAN LUXURY HOUSE HAS PUT THE SPOTLIGHT BACK ON ITS VERSATILITY AND INNATELY YOUTHFUL SPIRIT. IMRAN JALAL REDISCOVERS THIS GEN Z JEWELLERY ICON IN SEOUL.

time-read
3 mins  |
May 2023
YOU'RE ALWAYS INVITED HERE
Female Singapore

YOU'RE ALWAYS INVITED HERE

CREATIVITY AND COMMUNITY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THE DRIVING FORCES BEHIND THE HYPERCOOL JAPANESE SALON GROUP LESS IS MORE, OR MORE AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN AS LIM. THIS YEAR, IT CELEBRATES ITS 15TH YEAR IN BUSINESS IN SINGAPORE. KENG YANG SHUEN A SELF-PROFESSED FAN AND LONG-TIME CUSTOMER LOOKS AT HOW IT HAS SHAPED CULTURE AS MUCH AS THE HAIR BUSINESS HERE, AND DISCUSSES ITS FUTURE IN THE AGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA.

time-read
9 mins  |
May 2023
MARY, MARY, QUITE EXTRAORDINARY
Female Singapore

MARY, MARY, QUITE EXTRAORDINARY

AT 17 AND HAVING COMPLETED HER GCE O LEVELS ONLY LAST YEAR (SHE SIGNED WITH LOCAL MODELLING AGENCY BASIC MODELS MANAGEMENT IN LATE 2022), THE SINGAPORE-RAISED, INDIAN-ARAB MODEL MARY ROSE JACOB IS JUST GETTING HER CAREER STARTED. ALREADY, THOUGH, SHE HAS BECOME ONE OF OUR FAVOURITE SUBJECTS WHO HAS APPEARED ON THE COVER OF FEMALE FOUR TIMES (TWICE SOLO, TWICE AS PART OF A GROUP), WINNING US OVER WITH HER COMBINATION OF NATURAL GRACE AND PLAYFULNESS; A PERCEPTIVENESS THAT'S BEYOND HER YEARS; AND A DRIVE TO SUCCEED NOT JUST AS A MODEL, BUT ALSO A ROLE MODEL. IN HER FIRST IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW WITH A MAGAZINE, SHE REVEALS TO KENG YANG SHUEN HER OBSERVATIONS ABOUT AN INDUSTRY THAT'S CONSTANTLY NAVIGATING THE TOPICS OF RACE, DIVERSITY AND BEAUTY, AND HER ASPIRATIONS AS A YOUTH.

time-read
5 mins  |
May 2023
THEY'RE JUST LIVING THAT LIFE
Female Singapore

THEY'RE JUST LIVING THAT LIFE

BETWEEN THE 1970S AND '90S, THE LIKES OF THE NEW ROMANTIC MOVEMENT IN THE UK AND THE CLUB KID PERSONALITIES OF NEW YORK CITY STOLE THE LIMELIGHT IN MUSIC AND CLUBBING CULTURE FOR THEIR BRAZENLY OUTRAGEOUS USE OF MAKEUP TO CHALLENGE SOCIAL NORMS AND CREATE SAFE SPACES FOR THE MARGINALISED ALL WHILE HAVING ONE HELLUVA GOOD TIME. FAST FORWARD TO TODAY AND EXPRESSIVE GEN ZERS ARE DOING THE SAME BEYOND THE DANCE FLOOR. KENG YANG SHUEN MEETS FIVE INDIVIDUALS REDEFINING THE POWER OF MAKEUP AND IN TURN BEAUTY, BE IT FOR A NIGHT OUT, ART OR SIMPLY IN THEIR OWN PERSONAL TIME.

time-read
5 mins  |
May 2023
Don't Stop Believing
Female Singapore

Don't Stop Believing

All eyes have been on the man behind the most anticipated debut in fashion this season, but Sabato De Sarno-Gucci's new creative director isn't letting the spotlight get to him. Keng Yang Shuen expounds on why he is the antithesis of this era's celebrity designer - and exactly the kind of figure the industry needs in these times.

time-read
5 mins  |
March 2024
IT'S BEEN A LONG BELIEVING
Female Singapore

IT'S BEEN A LONG BELIEVING

THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT TAYLOR SWIFT IS ONE OF THE TOP CELEBRITIES IF NOT THE TOP CELEBRITY ― OF HER GENERATION. SHE WAS TIME'S 2023 PERSON OF THE YEAR AND HER ONGOING THE ERAS TOUR HAS BECOME THE HIGHEST-GROSSING OF ALL TIME. HER TRAJECTORY AND DISCOGRAPHY ARE THE SUBJECTS OF A COURSE AT HARVARD AND IN A WORLD FIRST NEWSPAPERS HAVE TURNED HER INTO A BEAT WITH DEDICATED REPORTERS. THERE'S ALSO LITTLE DOUBT THAT MUCH OF THIS HAS TO DO WITH HER FANS. AS HER CONCERT ROLLS INTO TOWN THIS MONTH, FOUR CREATIVE SWIFTIES TELL US HOW THE AMERICAN IDOL HAS INSPIRED THEM, AND SHAPED THEIR STYLE AND CRAFT.

time-read
4 mins  |
March 2024