Haute couture has sometimes been referred to as a “secret club”. At Chanel, it’s more like family. Under normal circumstances, “the team travels and connects with customers in about eight or 10 cities around the world,” the house’s president of fashion Bruno Pavlovsky explained on a video call from Paris. “The customers are used to having this full experience. So, how do you recreate this experience through FaceTime, through Zoom? How do you develop images to ensure that customers can feel comfortable enough to order pieces? It’s something we are still learning.” The familial bond that exists between a couture house and its clients – often devoted for life – was the beating heart of Virginie Viard’s second haute couture collection since the pandemic disrupted this most intimate part of fashion, along with the rest of the industry.
3 years ago