Past, present, future. The successive chapters of Gabrielle Chanel’s life come together in a journey through time. At the heart of it all, a sense of freedom, embodied not only in the figure of the bird, but in the very construction of the garments and the innovative development of the fabrics, from eased tailoring to smocked tweed. Different selves emerge and transform.

Past, present, future. The successive chapters of Gabrielle Chanel’s life come together in a journey through time. At the heart of it all, a sense of freedom, embodied not only in the figure of the bird, but in the very construction of the garments and the innovative development of the fabrics, from eased tailoring to smocked tweed. Different selves emerge and transform.

Photographs by David Bailey
Photographs by David Bailey