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The striking building that houses the institute is located in the formerly industrial area of Tseung Kwan O, and was designed by French firm Coldefy. “We have selected a very interesting area – the first time ever for a fashion show, if I’m right – with very interesting architecture and [that’s] very Hong Kong,” says Pavlovsky. “And on top of that, it’s one of the biggest institutions for students in Hong Kong, so it’s a great opportunity for us to collaborate.”
In recent years, the cruise show will involve a collaborative project with the Hong Kong Design Institute that began in Marseille, with five students from the school travelling to experience the first unveiling of the collection back in May.
Pavlovsky explains that staging a show in Hong Kong has been a goal for Chanel for quite some time: the brand had planned to restage a cruise show in the city before the coronavirus pandemic, but eventually cancelled the event due to the anti-government protests at the time.
The Hong Kong market is key to Chanel, he adds, even more so at a time when cultivating local clients has become paramount for luxury brands. “We will have a few clients from the region, but the key focus is Hong Kong clients; although we will have some from Shenzhen or Macau, the main objective is to engage our Hong Kong community, media, influencers and students. We will have some dedicated programmes for students,” he says.
Barely one month after the Hong Kong show, Chanel will unveil its 2024-25 Métiers d’art collection in Hangzhou, China. Before that, it will support a Shanghai exhibition organised by Comité Colbert – an association that promotes French savoir faire – to commemorate the 60th year anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France.
Greater China has been top of mind for luxury groups these days – a drop in spending by the region’s customers has created uncertainty in a part of the world that had, until recently, experienced extreme growth. But Pavlovsky, who is still sanguine about the prospects of Hong Kong and Greater China for Chanel, says that these activations had been planned long before those recent developments.
Pavlovsky and the top echelons at Chanel have also been busy looking for a replacement for former creative director Virginie Viard, who left the label in June, creating a vacancy at the top of a French institution that represents the pinnacle of fashion and luxury to the world.
Pavlovsky says that he won’t let the obsessive speculation online and on social media about Viard’s successor affect his judgment, and is still working with his team to find a suitable designer for what is likely the fashion industry’s most coveted and prestigious job.
“Chanel is quite complex. We need to find people who love Chanel and want to be immersed in Chanel. And everyone wants to be at Chanel,” he says. “Everyone I am meeting says they have all the qualities for the job. I have many people in front of me saying the same thing, but it’s more complicated than that. We’re trying to find what’s best for the brand, but what’s important is the product.
“Chanel is about the product, savoir faire and design, and the most important quality is the focus on the product. I believe that when you have the right people and the right product, you can do whatever you want in terms of business, because our business model is anchored on the client experience and the emotion we want to create for the client. So the products are the most important thing.”
But whether it’s the staging of shows like the upcoming Hong Kong one, or the appointment of the heir to Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel the Parisian label will undoubtedly keep making headlines and delighting its loyal fans in Hong Kong and beyond. “Let Chanel always surprise you,” says Pavlovsky. “We still have a lot to say and surprise you with.”
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