Chanel is strengthening its cultural commitment by launching a new publishing initiative: Arts & Culture Magazine, an international publication documenting the cultural activities promoted by the fashion house over the past five years. The operation, curated by the brand’s Culture Fund and directed by Yana Peel, the brand’s global head of arts, culture and heritage, is part of the celebrations marking 100 years of Chanel’s presence in the United Kingdom. The first issue of the magazine, titled Vol. 1, is distributed until June 28 at Foreign Exchange News in Bayswater, London, as part of a temporary installation curated by Chanel in the same space. In addition to the London outlet, Arts & Culture Magazine will be available in an international network of 20 selected bookstores, including such cities as Amsterdam, Bangalore, Bangkok, Berlin, Glasgow, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Milan, New York, Paris, São Paulo, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Taipei, Tokyo, and Zurich. In the United Kingdom, distribution will be handled not only by Foreign Exchange News but also by Tenderbooks, Rococo News & Magazines and Reference Point in London, and RIPE Mags in Glasgow.
“It all goes back to Gabrielle and the UK still has this special place for the fashion house because we continue to source tweed and cashmere from the UK,” said Elizabeth Anglès d’Auriac, president of Chanel UK. “Things become obvious and ideas take shape when you start to take an interest in the local environment, your customers and the cultural context. We’re always thinking about creation, creativity and craftsmanship-it’s our tradition, but it’s also our present and our future.”
The magazine, which is entirely in English and consists of 250 pages printed on papers varying in texture and weight, is conceived as a visual and collectible object. The editorial idea is to collect reflections, images and interpretations from the artists and creatives who have collaborated with Chanel over the past five years. The protagonists involved were asked to share their vision of the future, giving the magazine a speculative as well as documentary slant. The project, as stated by the fashion house, is part of a larger effort to support print publishing and independent bookstores globally. The focus on the physical medium, in this case print on paper, is a definite choice in a cultural context increasingly dominated by digital.
The cover of the first issue of Arts & Culture Magazine uses elements from Gabrielle Chanel’s personal archive. In the foreground is a bust of the designer made by sculptor Jacques Lipchitz in 1921, overlaid with a pair of Chanel’s signature metallic sunglasses from the fall 2002 collection and photographed by Roe Ethridge. This is a composition that combines the historical language of sculpture with the more recent language of contemporary fashion and photography. Other visual content in the volume includes a white shell-like tray with a gold interior containing a selection of pearls, a bottle of Chanel N°5, and a colored shell. An additional collage depicts a series of prints with lions, a likely reference to the zodiac sign of Gabrielle Chanel, who was born under the sign of Leo. The week before the magazine’s release, Chanel held an exclusive dinner for one hundred guests at the V&A East Storehouse in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, London. The event included a ballet performance performed against a scenic backdrop by Pablo Picasso, an element that once again underscores the historic connection between the fashion house and the performing arts.
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| Chanel launches an art and culture magazine: debut coincides with 100 years in UK |
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