Sian Riley: 2026

As I finally approach my long booked ticket for the Schiaparelli Exhibition at the V&A, I wanted to throwback to its last fashion epic – Gabrielle Chanel Manifesto.

The exhibition was popular – like the current Schiaparelli – as I was in an online queue for a few hours to get tickets, which I managed to get for a few weeks in. I hindsight I wish I had waited like I have for the Schiaparelli one, but more on that later.

The exhibition ran through elements chronologically at the beginning with key moments in her life and some early pieces, such as a silk-jersey blouse from 1916 on display. Some of these pieces took me by surprise as their condition was excellent considering their age.

A selection of other garments from the early 1900s were also on display towards the start and showcased the simple elegance that Chanel was known for; loose silhouettes that skimmed the figure, delicate details and fabrics…a step away from the heavily structured garments of the previous decades.

Photographs, magazines, letters and swatch books contextualise the exhibition journey including her society connections – one of which being Winston Churchill - and how these associations led her to adopt British garments, style lines and practical fabrics within her work. She also allowed these connections to form part of her brands evolution and build her career and notoriety.

Dropped waist and long line pieces also began to appear as the exhibition developed to show the changing styles in society. Colours became bolder, beading and embroidery more elaborate – arguably, her client’s needs changed with society and culture and with her array of wealthy benefactors, she could continue to evolve in bolder, creative and artistic ways. The garments on display help to show these style changes and with accompanying letters and photographs, it was clear to see that she cultivated and maintained her high society relationships well. Whether this was for her own single-minded gain or cultivated these connections in exchange purely to ‘open doors’ it’s difficult to determine, but artefacts in the exhibition could suggest it’s both.

The Little Black Dress is featured prominently - Chanel’s love of its simplicity and modern elegance rejuvenated its popularity in the early 20^th century as not just something for service or mourning, but something to be worn by all women no matter the occasion or need. This change of purpose gave it a universal appeal that continues to last to this day. My only complaint is that the black dresses behind the glass screens were back lit making the detail very difficult to see, and with additional light glare appearing on the front of the glass where we were standing, it washed out the finer details. This happened a number of times and as an appreciator of the construction and detail, this made it hard to see some of the craftsmanship.

Then came the tweed suit room…

The iconic Chanel silhouette shown through ombre colours across the years in a semi circle display. This suit line up showed the subtle detail changes across the seasons and designs and was an excellent product example of - please forgive the phrase - ‘if it’s not broke, don’t fix it’. Variations on this garment still feature in current collections and is arguably one of the most iconic and recognisable pieces for the brand. I loved how the pieces were displayed here but again, light glare was an issue as was busyness (the photo shows a brief respite in crowds so i could capture as much of this room as possible).

Towards the end of the exhibition, there was a nod to the famous staircase in 31 Rue Cambon in Paris, where Chanel would live, work and present her collections. It’s been noted that she used to sit mid-way up the stairs when collections were presented and in the reflections of the mirrors surrounding it, observe viewer reactions and the progress of shows. More elaborate, grand and detailed pieces were displayed artfully along the sweeping staircase allowing the curators to lead you to a dramatic ending – from Chanel’s original simplicity to extravagance.

Overall, I enjoyed the exhibition. It showed the development of her career and design style in a clear way and I felt there were a lot of garments on display; this isn’t always the case with exhibitions.

However, at times it was overly busy in areas making it very difficult to see the garments on display – something everyone there had gone to see and appreciate. Its important for museums and galleries to make money to support their work but maybe staggering the entrance times more or reducing the amount of people going in at one time could help with this. I did go very early on in the exhibition run though so I don’t think that helped. I’d spoken to friends who had gone much later and it was nowhere near as busy and much more enjoyable. This is one of the reasons I waited for Schiaparelli till September, despite it being open since March. The exhibition closes in November.

I also found the light glare frustrating at times as this masked some of the details on the garments. When visiting museums and galleries in other countries, they don’t always put pieces behind glass and it’s been great to experience and enjoy the garments up close. However, I do understand that museums do this to carefully preserve these pieces for future generations but maybe a happy medium can be found somewhere in future.

I’ve seen some great photos of the Schiaparelli exhibition on social media so I’m looking forward to viewing the garments not through a screen! Fashion and Art collaborations have always been an interest so i’ll eagerly await my visit.

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