Fashion

Chanel brings us into the third dimension

Hyper modern

22.07.2015

By Cai Mei Khoo

Chanel brings us into the third dimension

We’re calling this Karl’s greatest remix. An oldie but goodie moulded by the hands of a technical spin doctor and given the most contemporary twist. Melding a mainstay of the Chanel archives with 21st-century technology, Karl Lagerfeld’s extraordinary jackets for the A/W’15-16 Haute Couture show were a prime demonstration in the cutting-edge steps that fashion is just beginning to take.

A close-up view of Chanel's avant garde fabrication

Chanel’s 3D suits were crafted with a technique called Selective Laser Sintering. With the use of a very powerful laser, powdered materials are sintered (the process of compacting and forming a solid mass of material by the application of heat) by positioning the laser onto points defined by a 3D model. “The jacket is one single piece; there is no sewing, the suit has been moulded into existence,” says Lagerfeld. Once the openwork “cage” of padded quilting have been formed, they are embellished with embroidery and braided by the House of Lesage and then lined in Chanel’s ateliers. It’s a voyage of discovery that the fashion world is only just embarking on and unsurprisingly, Chanel is leading the charge.

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