Far from the madding crowd, in balmy and beautiful Provence, the Hyères International Festival of Fashion and Photography celebrated its 30th anniversary last weekend. Dedicated to the encouragement and support of young artists in both fields, on this particularly auspicious occasion, Karl Lagerfeld was the event’s creative director and his long-time creative studio director Virginie Viard was president of the fashion jury. The house of Chanel, meanwhile, was guest of honour. Suffice it to say, no up-and-coming designer, or indeed fashion photographer, could wish for anything more.
As well as a showcase of emerging international talent, attendees enjoyed a master class courtesy of M Lagerfeld – to describe this as a privilege must surely be something of an understatement. Chanel-owned Maison Lesage, meanwhile, organised an embroidery lesson: there is no more fêted name associated with this particular métier. In a world where product proliferates often at the expense of both time-honoured craftsmanship and bright young ideas, Chanel, interestingly among the most established names in fashion history, continues to prize and nurture both.
