Behind The Scenes At Chanel's 2024/25 Métiers D’Art Show With Bel Powley
Some of actor Bel Powley’s earliest memories are of her mother expertly applying red lipstick without looking in the mirror. Powley, too, has a penchant for a powerful red lip. Preppy and polished, yet playful with her personal style, the actor feels the perfect embodiment of today’s Chanel woman.
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It’s a busy time for the British actress: most recently Powley has returned to theatre, playing Annie in Tom Stoppard’s beloved The Real Thing at the Old Vic. With roles spanning Princess Margaret in A Royal Night Out, Birdy in the TV adaptation of Dolly Alderton’s hit novel Everything I Know About Love, and Bianca in the comedy TV series Benidorm.
Fresh off a whirlwind trip to Hangzhou, where she attended the Chanel 2024/25 Métiers d’art show, Powley is already back in Bristol, ready to dive into a new project set to start filming on Monday.
The Métiers d’art show, Chanel’s annual ode to craftsmanship, was held at the West Lake in Hangzhou. This year’s collection paid homage to Gabrielle Chanel’s love of Coromandel screens. Powley, no stranger to Chanel, says this show felt like a particularly magical experience this season as she sat front row in her look from the current collection.
ELLE UK caught up with Powley to discuss her favourite Chanel pieces, her off-duty wardrobe and her biggest style inspirations.
On attending the Chanel show
I've been to a couple of Chanel shows. I've done couture and ready-to-wear, but I've never been to a Métiers d’art show, so it feels different and extra special. I love that the show is dedicated to celebrating kind of the artisans that work so closely with all the pieces, from the buttons to the pleating to the ribbons and the hats.
It was so magical to be in the location of the West Lake in Hangzhou. The collection was inspired by the Coromandel screens that Gabrielle Chanel had in her apartment, depicting the lake. It felt like it was stepping into, Gabrielle Chanel's dream. It was really surreal, the models gliding along this glistening lake. For me too, the whole experience felt like a bit of a dream.
On her look for the show
My stylist bought a bunch of things for us to try, but it was the first thing we tried on, and we were immediately like, 'Yes, this is it'. It's from the cruise collection, it’s an all-black sequin skirt with a matching jacket, with a white geometric design on it. I guess when you put them together, it creates a shift shape. It felt quite Sixties. I wore it with some white Sixties booties with a black toe cap and big black Chanel earrings. In the end, my outfit really resembled the glistening Lake.
On her glam for evening
I find that when you have an outfit that looks quite Sixties, that's the first thing that probably jumps to everyone's mind is really big Sixties hair and makeup, but that can end up looking a bit costumey. So I really try to play against things — it's nice to have contrast in your look. We went for a very simple, very classic Chanel look, hair down in a loose wave with one side, tucked behind the ear to show off the earring. And then really beautiful skin, very minimal eye, and nice brows. I dabbled on a bit of classic Chanel burgundy red lipstick so it looked like a stain.
On her favourite moments from the show
I loved these suede and leather bags that were big enough for a laptop, with a big pocket on the front. They were the bag, like the travelling woman. There was also this pale blue version of a duffel coat, which was so chic and gorgeous – amazing with a simple pair of jeans and ballet flats. But then also, as we got to the end of the collection, you had the kind of more like lacy negligee-nightwear piece that stood out as well. It felt like everything that Gabrielle Chanel would have like packed in her suitcase to go on a trip.
On the Chanel woman
As the ultimate French fashion house, chic is the first word that comes to mind. But I feel like the Chanel woman is more than that. She's on the move, she’s working, she’s a professional, but she's also incredibly well-dressed. The classic Chanel jacket, for example, works so well at work, in a professional environment, but it also works really well with jeans and ballet flats, and then dressed up with heels. Chanel is for women who have multi-faceted lives.
On her time in Hangzhou
I brought my husband [Douglas Booth] along as my guest, and he was so game for everything, so we hit the ground running. We went out to a really nice restaurant and tried loads of cool new foods. We went to the spa and visited some incredible Buddhist temples. I can't believe we did all that in 36 hours.
On her most cherished Chanel piece
I’ve had my classic calf-skin ballerinas for a couple of years, and I've already almost, completely worn them down. I wear them all the time, on the plane, in winter, in summer, with jeans, with dresses, I wear them with socks or without. They are the most versatile shoe, and they always look so good and they're so comfortable.
On her off-duty style
I never really wear heels, and I'd always be in a trainer. For the last year and a half, it will always be a Wales Bonner X Adidas trainer. Every time a new collection comes out, I buy it right away. At the moment I’ve got the white superstars, which brought me right back to being a teenager. If it's not a trainer it's my ballet flats. Both are always great with a nice pair of jeans or tailored trousers. I'm much more of a shirt person than a T-shirt person. I've always wanted to be a cool T-shirt person, but somehow they never sit right on me. My day-to-day wardrobe would be a straight leg or a baggy jean with flats and a crispy oversized shirt in various colourways. And then, if I was going out, I’d wear barely any makeup, and just add red lipstick.
On her biggest style inspirations
My grandma was really stylish, and my mum was always so interested in clothes, she would wear a white T-shirt and Levi’s jeans, she always looked so cool when I was growing up. She also was a lipstick person. One of my earliest memories is, watching my mum put lipstick on in the car without using the mirror. I've grown up with stylish women around me, so they're the first that springs to mind.
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