You can be forgiven for pondering that Chanel paints a black and white image of the world. Assembly Arnaud Chastaingt, the director of Chanel’s watchmaking creation studio, this impression is given type as a result of the person is invariably carrying black. In actual fact, he tells us that he all the time wears black and the model’s visuals for him are very a lot true to his private quirks. In fact, this entire “Chanel is all black and all white and nothing else” misses the mark; color was essential to the Maison from the beginning, from Gabrielle Chanel’s personal imaginative and prescient. Chastaingt helpfully reminds the world of this with the brand new J12 Bleu this 12 months. On this unique dialog, he shares the obsessive journey behind the J12 Bleu’s creation, his views on masculine-feminine codes and why each element, right down to the minute monitor on the dial, issues.
There may be this impression that Chanel is just, or principally, about black and white. Is the brand new J12 Bleu an try to dispel this fantasy?
It’s true what you say, that Chanel is black and white, (Chastaingt himself isn’t pictured in something aside from black – Ed), it’s the duality that’s actually a part of our codes. You understand, it’s essential, however I feel it’s simply the tip of the iceberg. In fact, black and white are actually good because the body of the Home, however colors had been omnipresent in Chanel creations because the starting, and Gabriel Chanel herself was utilizing colors in her creations. The Bleu is (thus) actually greater than only a selection of color… (Wanting again on) the story of the J12, it was created in 2000 in black, and in 2003 in white. The J12 was launched in ceramic and (so) ceramic turned actually our distinctive savoir-faire that we’ve in our manufacture (together with the flexibility to make use of colors on this materials, which is technically difficult).
You understand that we’ve a manufacture at La Chaux-des-Fonds and it’s simply wonderful and conjures up me so much. I’m doing design (in Paris), however I’ve quite a lot of conversations with the staff on the manufacture. For instance, (the Dripping Artwork J12 boxed set), the 5 watches the place we put enamel on ceramic, which is new. I actually appreciated to discover completely different creation processes with the manufacture staff and it was related with the J12 Bleu; it was an extended mission that took 5 years of growth.
Inform us extra about this “Bleu”, and the way it happened?
In fact, I used to be dreaming a couple of darkish blue like (you see within the J12 Bleu), however (to make it a actuality) I knew that I must give the manufacture time to seek out the color I used to be dreaming of, and time to seek out the proper strategy of growth. It’s important to go from a powder to a stable (this pertains to how ceramic is fashioned for circumstances and bracelets, which is roofed in additional element in the primary story – Ed). There are numerous steps within the strategy of fabrication and naturally this was very complicated for the manufacture. It’s not like cooking, the place you may add (some components) and discover the proper blue (by trial and error, following a recipe and eyeballing the ingredient combine). No, no, it’s not like that. The manufacture staff made so many samples and generally the blue was too pink, or yellow, and I keep in mind the day after they proposed to me the ultimate samples. I knew once I had this pattern (of the blue that was used within the manufacturing items) in my palms that it was the blue I used to be dreaming of for Chanel; it was an emotional response, in the end.
That could be a difficult option to work! What number of variations of blue had been there?
So, it takes time – quite a lot of time – however at Chanel, you realize, we all the time allot time to do issues in one of the best ways as a result of we’re the Home of Creation; creation all the time goes with excellence (within the varied points of the making-of), you realize. That goes for the entire Home of Chanel, you realize, whether or not for couture, for fragrance, for jewelry. And naturally, for watches too.
As for what number of variations of the blue I noticed, I don’t know precisely. It’s true that within the artistic course of, I’ve by no means shared some form of Pantone reference (or the standard sheet of colors that present all of the variations of a potential color – Ed). No, completely not. It was extra a dialogue. The staff on the manufacture knew that my dream was to have a shade, you realize. Black and white are usually not colors (black is the absence of sunshine, of color and white is all colors – Ed) within the optical sense. You’ll be able to say they’re shades, in English. In my discussions with the manufacture, I stated I need to give color to black (as if below a blue gentle). So, after this dialogue, the staff understood that I needed a darkish blue – a blue that’s black or a black that’s blue! They did many assessments, and produced many samples earlier than we discovered the proper color for Chanel.
You speak about a “rigorous class,” as regards to the J12 Bleu. What does this imply, and does it should do with the numerous assessments and experiments that needed to be finished?
Yeah, it’s actually troublesome for me to clarify. I used to be in search of one thing uniform, however not like within the navy or something. That isn’t the way in which I need to go. I needed a uniform color, like many males who put on jackets in a blue so darkish it appears to be like black. A pleasant type of black; darkish blue can be one other code of class. It may very well be the brand new black, for individuals who completely don’t need to put on black as a result of it reminds them of mortality.
What’s your strategy to designing timepieces for males and for girls?
In fact, Chanel is female model and a female Home; in fact, we all know that 90 % of our prospects are ladies. The Premiere watch is completely just for ladies, but it was a bit of bit completely different with the J12 as a result of this watch was created by a person for himself (this was the late Jacques Helleu, 25 years in the past; it was a creation that deeply impacted Chastaingt, as you’ll uncover – Ed). After some time, ladies needed this watch too (and maybe increasingly more ladies too, given the recognition of the smaller sizes – Ed). In the present day, we’re shocked as a result of quite a lot of males are carrying the J12. Perhaps extra within the new technology…
It’s very paradoxical, you realize, as a result of we’ve a really highly effective female model at this time and but the fashion was impressed by males. Chances are you’ll know the story of Gabrielle Chanel (and what Rebecca Doulton referred to as “her penchant for appropriating garments from males’s wardrobes and giving them her magical designer’s twist” – Ed). It’s true that in my time (as director of Chanel’s Watchmaking Creation Studio), we made the Monsieur watch, which is just for males, nevertheless it was not my obsession to make watches for males or for girls. It (referring to the Monsieur watch) was extra as a result of I began working for Chanel in 2013 and I found the massive secret once I entered the Home: Chanel needed to develop its personal motion on the manufacture, with the Calibre 1, and I used to be very shocked as a result of not so many manufacturers can do this. Chanel informed me that I’m free to do no matter I need round (this primary calibre). I assumed (due to Gabrielle Chanel’s inspirations) that it might be an amazing story to have the primary all in-house watch from Chanel be a look ahead to males.
But it surely’s very fascinating for a designer or creator at Chanel as a result of we play on a regular basis with masculine and female codes… You understand that once I created the Boyfriend watch, I used to be pondering of Gabrielle Chanel stealing the watch of her boyfriend within the morning! Males had been by no means removed from Mademoiselle Chanel’s ideas.
The J12 is a sports activities watch in type however your obsession with particulars in design provides it a completely completely different fashion. Inform us why particulars such because the size of the palms and the width of the minute monitor are vital to you?
Thanks! I exploit this phrase, ‘obsess’ too; I’m obsessive about particulars. You understand, with the design of a watch (all of its design content material), you need to think about every little thing, from A-Z. My growth staff and the artistic staff know that I’m obsessed about particulars. Every thing is vital: the crown, the typography of the numbers, the buckle, the ending of the leather-based, and, in fact, the ending of the motion. If you wish to see me smile on the finish of the mission, I’ve to (make certain of) every little thing. I can’t do it otherwise. It’s unimaginable for me to let one thing go (if it isn’t excellent); all the small print should have been thought of.
Your query jogs my memory of the train of remodeling the design of the J12 in 2019; I’ve a really particular story with this watch. Perhaps you realize I found this watch greater than 20 years in the past (once I was a scholar). I had an actual crush on (the J12), and perhaps this watch opened my eyes to the truth that the watch world may very well be the territory of designers too. (On the time), I assumed (watch design) was a territory for under watchmakers, and for technical pondering.
So, when it got here to the train to transform the J12, I understood the significance of the small print of this; my artistic course of was extra that of a surgeon than a designer as a result of (clearly) I didn’t have to start out from scratch. The watch (already) fascinated me and so I understood that humility and respect could be one of the best ways to strategy the (2019 rework). I analysed all the small print of the J12 and all of the proportions. A watch is sort of a microcosm (of particulars) and whenever you enter it, it’s like magic (for creator and collector alike – Ed). If it was not good (like this), we’d not have launched the watch (this was the anniversary assortment in 2020 – Ed). However you realize it’s the identical manner for all of Chanel, for all product classes; if a fragrance isn’t good, we don’t launch it.
Further context and clarifications have been inserted within the responses by the editor, marked as “Ed”.
This story was first seen within the upcoming WOW #78 Imaginative and prescient 2025 Concern cowl story
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