Fashionable ladies of the lake

In an apartment at 31 Rue Cambon in Paris, Gabrielle Chanel decorated her walls with coromandel, Chinese lacquer screens made of ebony wood. One screen on the study's wall depicts the beautiful scenery of West Lake in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province.

Though Chanel did not have the opportunity to visit Hangzhou, more than 100 years later her models strolled the catwalk on the glorious, shimmering West Lake.

On the evening of Dec 3, the French fashion house presented its 2024/25 Metiers d'art collection, featuring dresses designed with subtle Chinese elements, such as floral and bird patterns, and the lotus flowers of West Lake.