MEETING of MINDS

A long-standing patron of arts and culture, Chanel is making its mark in the world of literature with the Literary Rendezvous at Rue Cambon, imagined by house ambassador and spokesperson Charlotte Casiraghi. The series' next writer of focus? Acclaimed French author Colette.

- JESSLYN LYE

A lesser-known fact about Chanel: the fashion house has always had a strong connection with literature. Gabrielle Chanel was a great supporter of writers, enjoying the close company of creative minds such as Pierre Reverdy, Jean Cocteau and Colette. Reading, to her, was a form of escape, a means to learning more about the world and a way to champion the authors she admired.

Karl Lagerfeld, too, was a prolific reader. In 1999, he founded the bookshop and library 7L, which was acquired by Chanel in 2021 to honour Lagerfeld and Chanel’s love for books. Today, the space stands preserved as a creative meeting point for literary and cultural endeavours. “I think that for both [Gabrielle and Karl], literature helped them see the world from a different perspective and it fed their creativity,” notes house ambassador and spokesperson Charlotte Casiraghi.

It is with this deep belief that Chanel created the Literary Rendezvous at Rue Cambon in 2021. Devised and curated by Casiraghi, the initiative brings together female writers and friends of Chanel to discuss their own works or those of celebrated literary figures. “It’s dreaming, I believe, that links fashion and literature.

Both are a broadening of possibilities, an extension of the power of the imagination,” shares Casiraghi.

From intimate panel conversations to deep dives into the libraries of those closest to the house, the series aims to convey a passion for literature and shed light on its transformative power. Here, Casiraghi opens up on what she hopes to achieve with Literary Rendezvous at Rue Cambon and the reasons behind choosing the next author of focus, legendary French writer Colette.