Ahead of Chanel’s Hangzhou Show, Tilda Swinton Stars in the Brand’s New Fashion Film

In anticipation of its 2024/25 Métiers d’art collection showcase in Hangzhou, Chanel releases a whimsical fashion film featuring Tilda Swinton. 

The magnificent West Lake in Hangzhou, China, serves as the setting for Chanel’s 2024/25 Métiers d’art collection, which will be showcased on December 3. Hangzhou, known for its silk tradition and stunning surroundings, makes the ideal location for this celebration of skilled production, with its mix of tradition and modernity.

This year’s collection focusses on Gabrielle Chanel’s long-time passion with Chinese art — most notably, her prized Coromandel screens. Among her collection of almost 20 screens, one portraying West Lake holds a special place in her Paris office. Though she never went to China herself, the elaborate designs featuring scenes of daily life, peaceful rivers, and stunning pagodas, inspired her imagination and made their way into her work in the 1950s and 1960s.

Photo: Donata Wenders

To acknowledge this connection, Chanel worked with filmmaker Wim Wenders to create a special three minute film that reimagines Chanel’s screen as a modern “window to the world”. “I spent some time in Mademoiselle Chanel’s office and studied her Coromandel screen. It made a huge impression on me,” Wenders explains. “Somehow, it was like a very early movie screen or giant comic strip that featured lots of little stories. Wherever you looked, there was another scene of daily life. The greatest inspirations for all my films have been places. Most of them started with a desire to find the story that would belong to a particular place I found and loved. That story needed to belong there and couldn’t ‘take place’ anywhere else.”

Starring Tilda Swinton, Xin Zhilei, and Leah Dou, the video combines the timeless beauty of Hangzhou with the potential of modern technology, depicting the city’s unique balance of history and innovation. The film explores these themes by using West Lake as a lyrical backdrop in which the past and present connect. Through sweeping rivers and gorgeous surroundings, the must-watch captures the essence of a city that continues to inspire artists and dreamers alike. Talking about the experience, Tilda Swinton — a long-time Chanel partner — shared, “It has been my sincere privilege to have been close to the House of Chanel for more than a dozen years, now, and my enthusiasm for the work we are able to do together only grows with every year. Chanel takes very seriously its role as cultural patron and source of support and encouragement to artists and arts institutions around the planet, and never has this work been more important, in my view.”

Photo: Donata Wenders

Swinton’s co-stars, Xin Zhilei and Leah Dou, found the experience equally special. In Zhilei’s words, “Hangzhou embodies a deep cultural heritage while embracing a spirit of modern innovation, a vision that aligns with Gabrielle Chanel’s pioneering ideals. This is a film brimming with poetry, filled with charm and exploration, much like the feeling the city of Hangzhou gives me. As dusk fell, during filming, the garden’s hazy beauty left us in awe, and we captured this feeling together, sharing it through images.” As for Dou, the idea of shooting for Chanel in Hangzhou was of deep significance. “I’ve always believed that culture is a vital source of inspiration for artistic creation. So, it’s entirely fitting that so much poetry and tradition have emerged from a place like Hangzhou, as it still holds a strong cultural foundation. Even though it’s now a modern, advanced city, it maintains a perfect blend of culture and modernity.”

Photo: Donata Wenders

Chanel’s collection and film continue to honor craftsmanship and the power of cross-cultural conversation, highlighting the enduring connection between creativity, tradition, and inspiration. Mark your calendars: the 2024/25 Métiers d’art collection will debut in just four days.